Following an apology from Samuel Eto’o, the president of Cameroon’s football federation (Fecafoot), Marc Brys has been given back his position as coach of the national team. The Belgian had been replaced just two days prior.
After Eto’o and Brys got into a furious argument when they first met earlier that day, Fecafoot placed Martin Ndtoungou in temporary leadership of the Indomitable Lions on Tuesday night.
The Cameroonian sports ministry had appointed Brys in April, but Fecafoot stated the decision had been “taken unilaterally” and voiced “great astonishment” at the change.
At a press conference on Thursday, Eto’o reaffirmed that the 62-year-old would stay in his role, with the 2026 World Cup qualifiers scheduled for early June.
Former Chelsea, Barcelona, and Inter Milan striker Eto’o apologized, saying, “There was a lot of emotion during our first unfortunate meeting.”
“The Cameroonian people are more important than us, and it is for them that we must work.”
On Tuesday, Eto’o and Brys met at Fecafoot’s offices in Yaounde. However, videos posted on social media captured a heated exchange between the two before the Belgian quickly left.
The 43-year-old Eto’o, who has led Fecafoot since December 2021, was also seen arguing with a representative of the ministry of sports.
The governing board replaced the Belgian for a number of reasons, including “an outright refusal to collaborate” and “disrespectful comments” made by Brys.
It stated that Ndtoungou will select a team for the World Cup qualifiers against Angola and Cape Verde on June 8 and 11, respectively; however, it now seems that Brys will make the calls up.
“Your mission is not an easy one despite your qualities and experience, but you should know that you will have our support,” Eto’o stated.
Following the most recent development in the power battle between Fecafoot and Cameroon’s sports ministry, Brys now appears prepared to take charge of his first international games.
With four points from two games, the Central Africans lead qualifying Group D. The winners of the group will go to the finals in the US, Mexico, and Canada.
