Eto’o and Marc Brys Clash as Cameroon Names Two AFCON Squads
Cameroon plunged into chaos just days before the Africa Cup of Nations as tensions erupted between national team manager Marc Brys and Cameroonian Football Federation president Samuel Eto’o. Eto’o, who recently celebrated his fourth year as president of the federation, is reportedly in a bitter feud with Brys, who has refused to step down. Despite Eto’o declaring that Brys’s tenure is over, the Belgian coach remains under contract with the Ministry of Sport until September 2026 and has yet to be officially dismissed. The dispute has thrown the national team into confusion, with two separate AFCON squads now named. On December 1, the Cameroonian FA, under Eto’o’s leadership, announced a 28-man squad with David Pagou — not Brys — as head coach. Pagou, officially listed on FIFA’s website, held a press conference to present the squad and outline Cameroon’s ambitions for the tournament, alongside a newly appointed coaching staff. The squad also featured several high-profile omissions, including former Manchester United goalkeeper André Onana, ex-Bayern Munich forward Eric Choupo-Moting, and veteran striker Vincent Aboubakar. Sources claim Eto’o may have pushed for Aboubakar’s exclusion to prevent him from breaking Eto’o’s all-time goal-scoring record. Aboubakar, 33, is currently 12 goals shy of surpassing Eto’o and could feasibly break the record during AFCON. The saga took another twist on Wednesday when Brys, rejecting his dismissal, announced a second Cameroon squad that reinstated the previously omitted players, further fueling the ongoing controversy. The drama has cast a shadow over Cameroon’s AFCON preparations, leaving fans and players uncertain just as the tournament is set to begin.