April 9, (THEWILL)- Cameroon has appointed a new national team coach, Marc Brys, on a two-and-a-half-year contract. However, the Belgian’s appointment by the government remains contentious as the country’s Football Federation, FECAFOOT, did not attend the signing ceremony.
While Brys’ contract was signed with Cameroon’s Sports Ministry, FECAFOOT, the governing body of football in the country, was noticeably absent from the event in Yaounde. Last week, FECAFOOT criticised the unilateral decision of Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombito to appoint Brys, who has no prior experience as a national team coach and has not previously worked on the African continent.
FECAFOOT President, Samuel Eto’o, issued a statement on Monday, explaining that the Federation was unable to attend the unveiling event due to the impending funeral of Eto’o’s late father, which is scheduled for the weekend. Eto’o has baulked at Brys’ appointment and is now in a deepening standoff with the Minister.
In Cameroon, the government has long paid the salary of the national team coach and therefore held a powerful sway over FECAFOOT’s affairs, even if such state interference is frowned upon by world football’s governing body, FIFA. Any heightened dispute risks a potential ban from international competition for Cameroon, one of the heavyweights of African football.
FECAFOOT held an emergency meeting on Saturday and asked Eto’o to propose an alternative coach for the national team. Earlier on the weekend, the Minister had defended the appointment, saying he had acted in accordance with national and international regulations. In a letter to FECAFOOT, Kombito said his Ministry’s appointment of coaching staff “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations”.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
