Complicated situation in Cameroon. According to the local press, Marc Brys revealed this Tuesday the players he wants to take to Morocco to play in the 2025 African Cup of Nations this winter. Small problem: he was dismissed from his position by the president of the Cameroonian Federation Samuel Eto’o at the end of November… and the new coach David Pagou already announced his list on December 1st.
Except that in reality, the 63-year-old Belgian coach has never been officially fired. The former Louvain coach is in fact still under contract until September 30, 2026 with the Ministry of Sports, which never sent him a dismissal notice.
“As long as there is not a signed note from the Presidency of the Republic appointing David Pagou, the coach of the Indomitable Lions, in the eyes of the State of Cameroon, remains Mr. Marc Brys. This cannot be discussed, and it has been this way in Cameroon for at least 30 years,” Brys explained on TV5 Monde this Tuesday.
“How can we compete in such a tournament without a world-class goalkeeper, or without Aboubakar? Because they are players who have character, who stand up to the president. It’s incredible, but it doesn’t surprise me coming from someone who is narcissistic, who thinks he is the most handsome,” he also railed to Afrik-Foot, directly targeting Samuel Eto’o with whom he has been engaged in a political-sporting war since his arrival.
Marc Brys’ list
Guardians: André ONA (Trabzons), Simon Oussola (FC Sant-Eloi Lupopo), Devis Epassy (Dinamo Bucarest)
Defenders: Jackson Tchatchoa (Wolveron Wanderers), Junior Baptiste Tchamadeu (Stoke City), Jean-Charles Castleteto (Al-Duhail SC), Michael Ngadeu (Beijing Guoan), Christopher Wooh (Sporta FC)
Environments: Carlos Baleba (Brighton & Hove Albion), Martin Hongla (Grenade FC), Jean Onana (Genoa), Arthur Avom (FC Lorient), Ivan Neyou (Getafe)
Attackers: Christian Bassoog (Al-Okhdood Club), Bryan Mbeumo (Manchester United), Patrick Soko (Almeria UD), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Al-Diriyah Club), Franck Franck (Toulous FC) Aboubakar (Neftchi Bakou)
In the meantime, Marc Brys has delivered his list of players, which differs greatly from that of David Pagou, since the Belgian has chosen for his part to include Vincent Aboubakar, Éric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and even André Onana. An ambiguous situation, which Cameroonian sports authorities will have to manage between now and the start of CAN 2025.
