Belgian Marc Brys Inks Contract As New Indomitable Lions Coach

By Sonita Ngunyi Nwohtazie

BUEA, Cameroon – 61-year-old Belgian Marc Brys on Monday signed a two-and-a-half-year contract as the new coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, with the absence of FECAFOOT president or his vice presidents.

The Belgian has been challenged to qualify Cameroon for the FIFA 2026 World Cup to be hosted by USA, Canada and Mexico and also to qualify Cameroon for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

“We will continue looking for players and those who were not selected in the past. Rest assured that you will see some local talents as it is unto to us to detect them,” said Marc Brys after signing his contract in the presence of the Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Prof Narcisse Mouelle Kombi.

"A lot has been said about me on social media, I don't care and I know what is needed of me. My strength is authenticity; authenticity is needed for success as I don't go with the flow. My ideas and decisions are in favour of the players, in favour of the results.”

FECAFOOT president Samuel Eto’o who had earlier rejected the appointment of Marc Brys issued a statement that was later said to be fake by close sources, excusing himself from the signing ceremony.

“We thank you for inviting us to the ceremony. Following this, we inform you of the fact that we received the letter two hours before the said ceremony,” wrote FECAFOOT President Eto’o. “Unfortunately, we are busy organising the funeral of our late Dad, and for this reason, we will not be able to attend presence at the ceremony."

The government has long paid the salary of the national team coach and therefore held powerful sway over FECAFOOT’s affairs, even if such state interference is frowned upon by world football’s governing body FIFA.

As the standoff continues between both institutions, any heightened dispute risks a potential ban from international competition for Cameroon, one of the heavyweights of African football. FECAFOOT held an emergency meeting on Saturday, April 6 and asked Eto’o to propose an alternative coach for the national team within 72 hours. That timeframe has come and gone without any word from the FA as to an alternative coach.

Marc Brys who was most recently at OH Leuven, is the third Belgian to take charge of Cameroon. The last was Hugo Broos, who led the country to its fifth AFCON title in 2017.

“In all honesty, I don’t think Marc Brys is the right choice to take over the Lions structure. Every head coach is judged on his results and this makes it easier to see why the arrival of Brys has more question marks than certainties,” Beng Emmanuel, a sports journalist based in Yaounde told Pan African Visions.

"What we need at this moment is a coach who is obsessed with winning, a coach who has an eye for finding results, a coach who has made a winning culture and can boast of a trophy-laden career. We have indeed seen some newbies greatly impressed with the Cameroon national team like Hugo Broos, but this does not make it clear for us to continue in this trend.”

Marc Brys will be assisted by Joachim Mununga and Giannis Xilouris. Former Cameroon striker Francois Omam-Biyik, who featured at three World Cups, was among the extended technical, medical and administrative staff appointed.