The newly appointed head coach of the Indomitable Lions, Marc Brys arrived Cameroon yesterday Sunday 7th April 2024. It was at about 10:20pm that the Belgian gaffer landed at the Yaounde Nsimalen Airport together with his assistants.
The coach confirmed that this was not his first time in Cameroon and also expressed excitement to get started. "I am curious! I will like to start already. We are ready to put things in place. I was very happy with the selection process. It was very professional" Marc Brys told the media
The coach and crew are expected to sign a contract with the state of Cameroon this Monday 8th. This from public view, will be a contrasting point as Fecafoot who had rejected the appointment are already in search for a replacement of Marc Brys and co.
Cameroon’s football federation (FECAFOOT) held an emergency meeting on Saturday April 6th and asked its president to propose an alternative coach for the national team, deepening a standoff with the sports ministry.
FECAFOOT on Wednesday 3rd had accused the ministry of unilaterally appointing Belgian Marc Brys as coach and other staff to manage the Indomitable Lions, who are five-times African champions. The dispute risks a potential ban from international competition as world soccer’s governing body FIFA has strict rules against government interference in national federations.
In a statement, FECAFOOT said its emergency committee had met on Saturday and unanimously confirmed that the federation had not been involved in the appointments in alleged contravention of regulations. As a result, it asked its president Samuel Eto’o to propose a national coach and other management staff for the national side within 72 hours.
On Friday, Sports Minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi wrote to FECAFOOT to defend the coaching appointments, which he said were in accordance with national and international rules.
In a letter seen by Reuters, Kombi said the ministry’s move “in no way affects the autonomy of FECAFOOT and does not violate any of the ‘supranational regulations’.”
A spokesperson for the ministry confirmed the authenticity of the letter. Kombi’s letter also said the salaries requested by three candidates earlier proposed by the federation for the position of coach ranged between 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) and 2.5 million euros per year. “These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.