Shock Cameroon AFCON squad the result of Eto’o “autocoup”

On a day of several notable teams announcing their squads for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), the surprise revelation of Cameroon’s squad had the fingerprints of Samuel Eto’o all over it.

 

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Indomitable Lions supporters were left shocked after Monday’s announcement, which began with the Eto’o-headed Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT) Emergency Committee announcing the appointment of David Pagou to lead the team at the AFCON finals in Morocco. Shortly after, the squad was revealed in a series of announcements following a period of silence that begn when the Lions fell short in their qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.

Pagou, a local coach with experience leading domestic clubs, took over from coach Marc Brys after an embattled spell where the Belgian coach was constantly at odds with FECAFOOT. Notably, Brys was appointed not by FECAFOOT but the nation’s Ministry of Sports and Physical Education (MINSEP). With Cameroon’s unique situation with regards to football administration, Brys became the unwilling mascot of a dysfunctional system where he was regularly belittled by FECAFOOT and its famous president.

Samuel Eto’o président de la fédération et Marc Brys, le nouveau sélectionneur.

C’est chaud entre eux. 🇨🇲😵‍💫 pic.twitter.com/KlmQtLtOhh

— 🏆 Actu Foot Afrique (@ActuFootAfrique) May 28, 2024

Eto’o has provided plenty of headlines over the past several years with his crusade to resuscitate Cameroonian football, long hobbled by mismanagement, corruption and most importantly to supporters…disappointing results.

With his re-election as president of FECAFOOT a few days before, Monday’s events can only be interpreted as a consolidation of his power after the embarrassing debacle of World Cup qualifying that ended in November.

The rumors and murmurs of discontent in the Indomitable Lions camp were inescapable. Things came to a head during the final two matchdays of the group stage in qualifying, after it was clear that the team was going to miss out on direct qualification at the hands of Cape Verde. Star goalkeeper André Onana was appointed captain on the instruction of Brys after veteran striker Vincent Aboubakar previously wore the armband throughout most of qualifying.

But Onana’s appointment raised the ire of senior team leaders…and most importantly, Eto’o. Differing allegiances among the players led to an intense meeting between senior players and Brys, where words were reportedly exchanged. It became clear that some players had allegiances to FECAFOOT while others sympathized with Brys and the decisions of MINSEP.

Dropped for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Monday’s squad announcement, Onana’s exclusion is the most notable and ostentatious display of the behind-the-scenes work of Eto’o. After beginning his development as a player in the Samuel Eto’o Academy, Onana and the legend-turned-administrator have had a very public falling out over the course of Onana’s career.

With Onana joining the likes of beloved veterans like Aboubakar, Eric Choupo-Moting and central defender Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui as surprise exclusions from the squad, the evidence is too clear to ignore. All of these players were in that reported meeting with Brys during qualifying.

Considering the appointment of a little-known local coach to lead the team in Morocco and the exclusion of these notable players, the country’s ugly football politics are in full view. Also considering the re-election of Eto’o as FECAFOOT president only a few days earlier, it is reasonable to assume that this last week has been a coup and consolidation of power.

Before his re-election, he did not have the power to sack Brys. However, now it appears that the FECAFOOT president has absolute power and Monday’s announcements are a public display that the nation’s all-time leading goal scorer is now pulling all the strings in the national team.