The Cameroonian Football Federation has descended into confusion just days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations as a deepening feud between federation president Samuel Eto’o and national team manager Marc Brys has led to the release of two separate AFCON squads.
Reports indicate that Marc Brys, who is still under contract with the Ministry of Sport until September 2026, has not been formally dismissed but was informed by Samuel Eto’o that his tenure as Cameroon’s head coach is effectively over. The standoff has thrown the country’s preparations into disarray ahead of the tournament.
Following an emergency committee meeting on December 1, the Eto’o-led federation released a 28-man squad naming David Pagou, not Brys, as head coach for the tournament. Pagou, now officially listed on FIFA’s website, even held a press conference alongside a newly appointed coaching staff to outline Cameroon’s ambitions for AFCON. The squad featured notable omissions, including former Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana, ex-Bayern Munich forward Eric Choupo-Moting, and veteran striker Vincent Aboubakar.
According to reports from The Sun, Eto’o pushed for Aboubakar to be excluded to prevent him from surpassing his all-time goal-scoring record. Aboubakar is currently 12 goals away from becoming Cameroon’s outright top scorer and could potentially overtake Eto’o during the tournament.
In response, Brys, who has refused to accept what he describes as an improper dismissal, issued his own Cameroon squad on Wednesday, reinstating the previously omitted players. Speaking to Flemish outlet VTM NIEUWS about his deteriorating relationship with the former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker, Brys said: “It’s always been Eto’o’s goal to get me out as quickly as possible. From the very first minute, he insulted me, and I reacted. I was too much of a competitor for him.”
Referring to the exclusion of key players from the initial squad, he added: “Eto’o had left key players and leaders out of the squad. Because, of course, he had made that selection. How can you go to the Africa Cup of Nations without a world-class goalkeeper? Or without Aboubakar? It’s unbelievable, but actually, it doesn’t surprise me. It’s coming from someone who is narcissistic and thinks he’s the best.”
Brys also told TV5 Monde on Tuesday: “As long as there is no signed note from the Presidency of the Republic appointing David Pagou as the coach of the Indomitable Lions, in the eyes of the State of Cameroon, Mr. Marc Brys remains. This is not up for discussion, and it has been this way in Cameroon for at least 30 years.”
The deadlock has left Cameroon’s AFCON preparations uncertain, with both authority and squad selection now in dispute just days before the competition begins.
