Cameroon have found themselves at war with their own president Samuel Eto’o just days before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Eto’o, who on Thursday marked his fourth year as president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, is locked in a bitter feud with national team manager Marc Brys, who is reportedly refusing the sack.
Belgian boss Brys has not yet been officially fired and remains under contract with the Ministry of Sport until September 2026, despite being told by Eto’o that his time in charge of Cameroon is over.
The feud has thrown Cameroon into chaos and confusion just days before the tournament begins, with the African giants naming two separate AFCON squads.
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 national team coach for the tournament.
Pagou, who is now officially listed on FIFA’s website and even held a press conference to explain the squad and Cameroon’s ambitions for AFCON last week, was also joined by a brand new coaching team, appointed by Eto’o.
Cameroon are at war with their own president Samuel Eto’o just days before the start of AFCON
Eto’o is locked in a bitter feud with Cameroon manager Marc Brys, who is ‘refusing the sack’
The Cameroonian Football Federation, led by Eto’o, released their 28-man AFCON squad on December 1, naming David Pagou — not Brys — as the national team coach for the tournament
The squad also featured several surprise omissions, with former Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana, ex-Bayern Munich forward Eric Choupo-Moting and veteran goal-scorer Vincent Aboubakar all left out.
According to sources at The Sun, it is wildly claimed that Eto’o deliberately called for Aboubakar to be dropped from the team in order to prevent his all-time goal scoring record from being broken.
Aboubakar, 33, is currently 12 goals away from becoming the country’s outright top scorer and could feasibly surpass Eto’o at AFCON over the next few weeks.
The saga took a bizarre new twist on Wednesday when Brys, refusing to accept his dismissal, issued a second Cameroon squad that reinstated the previously omitted trio.
Speaking furiously about his feud with the former Chelsea and Everton star, Brys told Flemish outlet VTM NIEUWS: ‘It’s always been Eto’o’s goal to get me out as quickly as possible.
‘From the very first minute, he insulted me, and I reacted. I was too much of a competitor for him.’
Referencing the initial squad that excluded Onana, Choupo-Moting and Aboubakar, he added: ‘Eto’o had left key players and leaders out of the squad. Because, of course, he had made that selection.
‘How can you go to the Africa Cup of Nations without a world-class goalkeeper? Or without Aboubakar?
The squad did not include several top stars including ex-Man United goalkeeper Andre Onana
Vincent Aboubakar, who is hunting down Eto’o’s Cameroon goal record, was also left out
‘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 also told TV5 Monde on Tuesday: ‘As long as there is no signed note from the Presidency of the Republic appointing David Pagou as the coach of the Indomitable Lions, in the eyes of the State of Cameroon, Mr. Marc Brys remains. This is not up for discussion, and it has been this way in Cameroon for at least 30 years.’
Eto’o, 44, has long butted heads with Brys and repeatedly stated an unwillingness to work with the Belgian during his tenure as Cameroon president.
Brys had already threatened to quit last year after his assistant, Joachim Munanga, was left off the federation’s official matchday list, a move widely viewed as an attempt to undermine the Belgian’s authority.
In 2024, Eto’o was handed a six-month ban from attending national team matches by FIFA, after breaching two articles of the governing body’s disciplinary code.
A FIFA statement confirmed the breaches occurred around a FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup last-16 match between Brazil and Cameroon.
No details were provided on the nature of the incidents which led to his ban.
