The Cameroonian Football Federation has been plunged into turmoil just days before the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, following a bitter dispute between national team manager Marc Brys and Cameroon FA President Samuel Eto’o.
Belgian coach Marc Brys, who remains under contract with the Ministry of Sport until September 2026, reportedly refuses to accept his dismissal despite being informed by Eto’o that his tenure as Cameroon’s manager is effectively over. The standoff has led to the unusual situation of two different squads being announced for the tournament.
The Cameroonian FA, led by Eto’o, released their 28-man squad after an emergency committee meeting on December 1, naming David Pagou—not Brys—as the head coach. Pagou, officially listed on FIFA’s website, presented the squad and the new coaching team at a press conference last week. The squad included several surprising omissions, including former Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana, ex-Bayern Munich striker Eric Choupo-Moting, and veteran goal-scorer Vincent Aboubakar. Sources suggest Eto’o deliberately excluded Aboubakar to prevent him from surpassing his all-time goal-scoring record, as Aboubakar is currently 12 goals shy of Eto’o’s record.
In response, Brys issued a second squad reinstating Onana, Choupo-Moting, and Aboubakar. Speaking to Flemish outlet VTM NIEUWS, he accused Eto’o of attempting to remove him from his role from the very beginning. “From the first minute, he insulted me, and I reacted. I was too much of a competitor for him,” Brys said.
Brys criticized the original squad selection, questioning the omission of key players. “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,” he told TV5 Monde. He also maintained that, in the absence of an official note from the Presidency of the Republic appointing David Pagou, he remains the legitimate coach of the Indomitable Lions under Cameroonian law—a stance upheld for over 30 years in similar cases.
The dispute has thrown Cameroon’s preparations for AFCON into uncertainty, leaving the nation’s football fans anxious as the tournament draws near.
