YAOUNDE: On Monday, Marc Brys, the new coach of Cameroon, signed a contract. However, the Belgian’s selecting by the government is still up for debate because the football federation was not present at the signing.
The sports ministry of Cameroon has awarded Brys a two and a half-year contract; yet, the federation (FECAFOOT) was noticeably absent from the Yaounde event.
FECAFOOT criticized the sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombito’s arbitrary appointment of the 61-year-old Brys last week. Brys has never before coached a national team and has never worked on the African continent.
Samuel Eto’o, the president of FECAFOOT, resigned from the unveiling event in a statement released on Monday.
“We appreciate your invitation to the ceremony. After this, we would want to notify you that, as of two hours prior to the ceremony, we received the letter, Eto’o wrote.
“We are truly unable to attend presence at the ceremony as we are currently preparing for our late father’s funeral.”
His father’s funeral is to be held at the weekend.
Eto’o objected to Brys’ appointment and is now in a deepening standoff with the minister.
Even though governmental intervention in FECAFOOT’s business is discouraged by FIFA, the body that oversees world football, the government of Cameroon has long provided financial support for the national team coach, giving it significant influence over the organization’s operations.
An intensified disagreement could result in Cameroon, one of the biggest teams in African football, being barred from participating internationally.
In an emergency meeting on Saturday, FECAFOOT requested that Eto’o suggest a different coach for the national team.
If the dispute gets worse, one of the best teams in African football, Cameroon, would not be allowed to play internationally.
During a Saturday emergency meeting, FECAFOOT asked Eto’o to recommend a new coach for the national squad.