Cameroon FA left in the dark over Marc Brys’s appointment as national team boss

The Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) has appointed Marc Brys as the new head coach of the national team, replacing former Liverpool defender Rigobert Song. Fecafoot President Samuel Eto'o expressed surprise at the appointment, claiming it violates the country's regulations on national football teams. Brys returns to coaching after a brief retirement and will guide Cameroon through the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

The Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) was left outraged after the country’s sports ministry unilaterally appointed Marc Brys as the new head coach of the national team, replacing former Liverpool defender Rigobert Song. Brys, a 61-year-old Belgian, took over following Song’s dismissal in February, which came after Cameroon’s exit in the last 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Fecafoot President Samuel Eto’o expressed surprise at the appointment, stating that neither he nor the federation were informed beforehand. This move, according to Fecafoot, violates the country’s regulations regarding the operation of national football teams. Rigobert Song, appointed in 2022 at the behest of President Paul Biya, led Cameroon to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they defeated Brazil but failed to advance past the group stage.

Cameroon’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations campaign ended in the last 16 against Nigeria. Brys, formerly in charge of OH Leuven, returns to coaching after a brief retirement. His immediate challenge is to guide Cameroon through the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States.