Appointment of Lions technical team: FECAFOOT, gov’t in fresh cold war.

Sports and Physical Education, Minister, Prof Narcisse Mouelle Kombi, Tuesday night, issued a release appointing a 13-man team that will henceforth take charge of the Indomitable Lions.

The release, read on the national State broadcaster, Cameroon Radio Television, CRT, during the 8:30pm news cast, announced Belgian football tactician, Marc Brys, as the Lions new head coach. 

Minister Mouelle Kombi stated in the release that the appointment of Marc Brys, his assistants and technical crew, “have been done under instructions of the President of the Republic, Paul Biya,”.

Going by the appointments, the 61-year-old Marc Brys, will be assisted by Joachim Mununga and Giannis Xilouris.

Former Lions internationals, Francois Omam-Biyik and Cyprian Ashu Bissong, were named as the first and second deputy coaches respectively. 

Also, two-time Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, winner, Alioum Boukar, is the new goalkeeper trainer. 

Other appointments include: Christophe Manouvrier (Physical trainer), Dr Professor William Ngatchou (Team Doctor), Danny Nounkeu (Team Manager) and CRTV journalist, Germain Noel (New Team Press Officer). 

Lobe Keller Didier shall occupy the post of Liaison Officer.

The appointments, however, did not specify the duration of the new Indomitable Lions technical team.

FECAFOOT fires back

Reacting to the appointments, the Eto Fils-led FECAFOOT, expressed “its great astonishment,” following the resolve of the Sports minister to appoint a new technical bench without the knowledge of the federation”.

In a statement posted on its official Facebook page, FECAFOOT said it “learned at the same time as all Cameroonians the appointment to positions of responsibilities within the men’s senior national football team”.

The football governing body labelled the appointments as a unilateral decision of the Sports minister, adding that it “comes at a time when FECAFOOT has agreed to follow the instructions of the President of the Republic, by providing its frank collaboration with a view to achieving an appeasement, beneficial to the future of our beloved Indomitable Lions”.

FECAFOOT says it intends to “shed light on this regrettable situation and will communicate without delay, how it intends to respond to the appointment of a new Lions technical team”.

It is said that FECAFOOT is banking on the decree of September 26, 2014, governing the organisation and functioning of national football teams, to make a strong case for itself. 

According to Article 3, “the administrative, sporting and technical management of national teams, falls under the responsibility of the Cameroon Football Federation, referred to as FECAFOOT”.

MINSEP, FECAFOOT clash to ruin football in Cameroon?

Experts have argued, and rightly so, that the recent decision appointing a new technical team in charge of the Indomitable Lions, without the ‘consent’ of the country’s football governing body, will deepen the rift between the two bodies.

The FECAFOOT-sports ministry fracas, sports analysts say, could exacerbate the already existing conflict that has so bad tarnished the image of the Cameroon football national team.

Some say the decision of the sports ministry, means government has moved to limit the overwhelming influence of Samuel Eto’o, on national teams. 

This, they say, explains why some ‘aggrieved’ members of the technical team who served under former Lions coach, Antonio Conceicao, and who were sacked by Eto’o, are part of the new coaching staff of the Indomitable Lions.

Francois-Omam Biyick was deputy head coach, twice, from 2010-2022 and also in 2019-2022. 

Alioum Boukar was the Lions goalkeeper trainer from 2016-2019 while the new coordinator of the national team, Benjamin Banlock, served as the Secretary General of FECAFOOT between 2018 and 2022. 

The above mentioned are said to have fallen out with Eto’o, after his election as FECAFOOT president.

About new Lions coach, Brys

The Belgian football tactician, born some 62years ago, has spent most of his coaching career in Belgium, where he has managed nine clubs. 

He also had stints in Saudi Arabia and The Netherlands.

Marc Brys has been in charge of 15 clubs in his 25-year-coaching experience in these three countries. 

In 560 games, he won 214. His records also include 150 draws and 196 defeats. He has a win rate percentage of 38.21 per cent.

Brys, who was recently at OH Leuven, has never been in charge of a national team. 

He is also in his first experience on the African continent. 

He becomes the third Belgian to take charge of the Cameroon national team, after Henri Depireux (1996-1997) and Hugo Broos, who won the 2017 AFCON for Cameroon in Gabon.

The gaffer is expected in Cameroon in the days ahead, alongside other members of the technical staff to sign their contracts.