9, April 2024
Eto’o skips Marc Brys unveiling ceremony 0
Cameroon’s new coach Marc Brys penned a contract on Monday but the Belgian’s appointment by the government remains contentious as the football federation did not attend the signing ceremony.
Brys has been handed a 2-1/2-year contract by Cameroon’s sports ministry but the federation (FECAFOOT) was conspicuous by its absence at the event in Yaounde.
Last week, FECAFOOT criticised the unilateral decision of sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombito to appoint the 61-year-old 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, excusing himself from the unveiling event.
“We thank you for inviting us to the ceremony. Following this, we inform you of the fact that we received the letter two hours before the said ceremony,” wrote Eto’o.
“Unfortunately, we are busy organising the funeral of our late Dad, and for this reason we will not be able to attend presence at the ceremony.”
His father’s funeral is to be held at the weekend.
Eto’o balked 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 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, Kombi 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”.
He said FECAFOOT had suggested three candidates to the ministry but their salary demands ranged between 1.5 million euros and 2.5 million euros ($1.63 million and $2.71 million) per year.
“These are excessive amounts never paid to any coach in the history of the Indomitable Lions,” Kombi said.
Source: Reuters
26, April 2024
Indomitable Lions Crisis: FIFA refuses to acknowledge Marc Brys 0
The crises rocking Cameroon football has reached another height after the World football governing body refused to acknowledge the newly appointed Marc Brys as the coach of the Indomitable Lions, BSNSports.com.ng reports.
The Belgian gaffer was appointed by the Sport minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi last month but the President of FECAFOOT Samuel Eto’o has refused to recognised him as the coach of the team.
After having mentioned the name of the coach in the Cameroon selection sheet, the governing body of football strangely retracted the name and left the coach’s box empty.
The ball is now in the court of the president of FECAFOOT who will validate the appointment of Brys to put an end to all this chaos.
The Indomitable Lions will play important matches next June against Cape Verde and Angola in the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifier.
Source: bsnsports