New Indomitable Lions’ Coach: Fecafoot faults appointment process
By Nfor Hanson Nchanji
The Cameroon Football Federation on Tuesday night received an ‘uppercut punch’, certainly a day they will never forget. The Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Narciss Mouelle Kombi, announced that the President of the Republic had validated the appointment of Belgian-born, Marc Brys as the new head coach of the senior men’s national football team. The ministry also announced the names of other members of the technical staff.
An hour later, the Cameroon Football Federation contested the decision Fecafoot contests appointment of new coach – Cameroon News Agency In an official statement posted on its Facebook page, Fecafoot said they were not consulted before the appointment of a new coach. The Federation went further to cite a 2014 presidential decree that gave it the technical power to appoint coaches for national teams.
What does the 2014 decree say?
On September 26, 2014, President Paul Biya signed a decree where he outlined the management procedures of the Cameroon national teams. Decree No. 2014/384 of 26 September 2014 on the organisation and functioning of national football teams (prc.cm) Chapter II, Article 3 (1) specified that the football federation has the sole control over the management of administrative, technical, and sports aspects of the teams.
The administrative, sporting and technical management of the national football teams falls under the competence of the Cameroon Football Federation hereinafter referred to as FECAFOOT.
While in Article 4 (1) states that Fecafoot has the competence to appoint the General Coordinator of the different national football teams.
The administrative, sporting and technical coordination of the activities and programmes of the national football teams referred to in Article 2 above is ensured by a General Coordinator, appointed by the President of FECAFOOT.
So what went wrong?
The Indomitable Lions’ dismal performance at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire was not well digested by President Paul Biya and in general, by Cameroonians. Paul Biya said in a message to youths on February 10, 2024, that something needs to be done to remedy the situation of the senior national football team.
Besides this, the management style of the federation’s President, Samuel Eto’o, has been criticized by several stakeholders, including his former deputy, Njalla Quan Henry Fecafoot: Njalla Quan let loose the tail – Cameroon News Agency
Since Eto’o became the federation’s president on December 11, 2021, he succeeded in solving the recurrent issues at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sports, but critics say he failed to reconcile national actors leading to a chaotic championship, unprecedented sanctions, resignations, and alleged match-fixing.
Also, the federation president has not been on good terms with the minister of Sports and Physical Education. There are allegations that Eto’o is not someone to meddle with when it comes to wanting to interfere in federation activities or have a quasi control over Cameroon’s football. Cameroonians love this aspect of Eto’o Fils as they believe that the government likes to interfere in all activities when they cannot show positive outcomes.
“Allow football management to footballers”, has been their cry.
What Next?
The federation has very little chance of overturning the appointment of the new technical team at the senior national football squad. Instead, they have been put in a tight position whereby, a number of those who were appointed, especially former Fecafoot Secretary General, Benjamin Banlog, now appointed as General Coordinator of national football teams, may not have a cordial working environment with the federation and its president. But Eto’o might forget about what the presidency will say and refuse to sign the appointment, thereby inviting FIFA to implement its zero tolerance on football affairs by regimes. I this happens, then the government could start digging into Eto’o’s past to imprison him like former President, Iya Mohammed.
The appointees
The list shows the spectacular comeback of former employees of the national football team such as Christophe Manouvrier who worked between 2011 and 2017, Professor Williams Ngatchou who was team doctor between 2014 and 2022, Francois Omam Biyik who has always held the deputy coach in 201-2011 and 2019-2022 and the former goalkeeper trainer, Alium Boukar who held the same position between 2016 and 2019.
Marc Brys, the team’s head coach
François Omam-Biyick , 1st deputy
Ashu Bessong , 2nd deputy
Dany Nounkeu , Team Manager
Christophe Manouvrier Physical trainer
Alioum Boukar GK trainer
Germain Noël Essengue, Team press Officer.
