By Noela E. BISONG (with reports from DOH SONKEY & SIMON KALLA)
Like an epic movie full of sensation and suspense, Cameroon’s ministry of Sports and the country’s football federation, FECAFOOT, are thrilling Cameroonians in an interesting yet unnecessary duel.
After close to a two-month deadlock involving many twists and turns on who has the competence to appoint the national football squad coach and the administrative and technical staff, a Friday, May 31, press conference jointly organised by FECAFOOT president, Samuel Eto’o and coach Marc Brys, appeared to have laid the saga to rest. But it seems there is still a long way to go.
Sunday June 2, 2024 evening, unveiled a new controversy which now seems to be gaining steam. According to a FECAFOOT communiqué released on Monday, June 3, it read that, “During a meeting convened on 02/06/2024 at the Hilton Hotel, the Head Coach Mr. MARC BRYS decided to reshuffle the Administrative and Technical Staff appointed by the Executive Committee, the only competent authority in this case”.
It would be recalled the Friday May 31, 2024 joint press briefing by FECAFOOT and Marc Brys had officially announced a new composition of the staff of coach Marc Brys, made up of members appointed by FECAFOOT and not those of the Ministry of Sports.
Reports say MINSEP did not confirm the said composition and maintains its position with its own technical, administrative and medical staff who already signed the working contract in April.
The FECAFOOT Monday communiqué stated that “Similarly, FECAFOOT has noticed that individuals present on site are taking a number of initiatives at the request of the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education. Even worse, the National Team and FECAFOOT staff have been subject to intimidation by the massively mobilized forces of law and order, thereby making it impossible to carry out the usual welcoming operations”.
According to reports, The SUN gathered that on Sunday, certain players were welcomed by Didier Banlock, general coordinator of the national selections appointed by MINSEP and not recognised by FECAFOOT, while others were by Thierry and Benoit Angbwa, respectively team press and general coordinator of the national selections of the staff appointed by FECAFOOT.
The genesis
Marc Brys, alongside an administrative and technical staff was appointed by the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education last April 2024 but FECAFOOT contested this and expressed its “great astonishment” at the move and said the decision had been “taken unilaterally”. What follows has been a two-month back and forth between FECAFOOT and the ministry of Sports and Physical Education as to who had the power to name the coach and the technical staff of the national team.
Recently it seemed the Presidency of the Republic intervened for the hatchet to be buried. FECAFOOT had rejected what it observed as the ministry’s intrusion within the FA’s sphere of competence, in appointing the complete team to manage the squad. Marc Brys and his assistant, Joachim Mununga were retained, why FECAFOOT brought in a new administrative and technical team from that earlier recruited by the Minister of Sports and Physical Education.
According to a May 30 communiqué from FECAFOOT Secretary-General, Brys is expected to work with Martin Mpile as assistant number one while David Pagou is the assistant coach number 2. Former Cameroon international goalkeeper, Idris Carlos Kameni is the goalkeeper trainer. A host of others completed the FECAFOOT-announced technical team.
The former international soccer striker, Samuel Eto’o who was voted in late 2021 as FECAFOOT President in his preliminary statement during the Friday press conference told Marc Brys, “I apologise because during our first unfortunate meeting, there was a lot of emotion. The Cameroonian people are more important than us, and it is for them that we must work.” Eto’o told Brys that, “your mission is not an easy one despite your qualities and experience, but you should know that you will have our support”.
The June 3 communiqué, signed by FECAFOOT SG, Djounang Blaise concludes that, “The FECAFOOT Emergency Committee, in its session today at 11a.m., took note of FECAFOOT’s exclusion from the preparations for the games between the Cameroon national team and those of Cape Verde and Angola on June 08 and 11, 2024 in Yaounde and Luanda.”
Prior to the communiqué, The SUN gathered that FECAFOOT had refused releasing equipment for the Lions’ squad ahead of the games. At press time, a video was in circulation showing the called-up players having a walk amid tight security with Marc Brys and the MINSEP-appointed staff.