Cameroon chaos! Two squads named for AFCON with FA president Samuel Eto'o locked in bitter feud with boss who has 'refused to be sacked'

Uncertainty reigns as Cameroon prepare to head into the AFCON, which begins in just 10 days on December 21 in host nation Morocco. Cameroon see their campaign begin three days later on December 24 against Gabon, and there could be much controversy yet to come as Eto’o and Brys continue their public feud.

Mail Sport have shed light on the situation in Cameroon, where Eto’o recently marked four years as president of the Football Federation.

The former Barcelona and Chelsea striker has reportedly told the Belgian Brys that he has been relieved of his duties as manager of Cameroon, but he is reportedly ‘refusing the sack’ amidst claims that he has not been officially fired and remains under contract with the nation’s Ministry of Sport until December 2026.

He intends to lead the nation into the tournament, despite the fact that Eto’o has since appointed David Pagou as his replacement. The Cameroonian FA released their 28-man squad for the tournament with Pagou as manager on 1 December, omitting star names such as Andre Onana, ex-Bayern Munich striker Eric Choupo-Moting and Vincent Aboubakar – the latter of whom is just 12 goals away from surpassing Eto’o’s all-time goalscoring record for Cameroon. 

Brys has suggested that this decision was, therefore, calculated by Eto’o, and has named his own conflicting squad for the upcoming tournament.

Brys has spoken out, as the stand-off with Eto’o continues: “It's always been Eto'o's goal to get me out as quickly as possible,” he told Flemish outlet VTM NIEUWS.

“From the very first minute, he insulted me, and I reacted. I was too much of a competitor for him.”

Referencing the AFCON squad that excluded Onana, Choupo-Moting and Aboubakar, he added: “Eto'o had left key players and leaders out of the squad. Because, of course, he had made that selection.

“How can you go to the Africa Cup of Nations without a world-class goalkeeper? Or without Aboubakar? It's unbelievable, but actually, it doesn't surprise me. It's coming from someone who is narcissistic and thinks he's the best.

"As long as there is no signed note from the Presidency of the Republic appointing David Pagou as the coach of the Indomitable Lions, in the eyes of the State of Cameroon, Mr. Marc Brys remains. This is not up for discussion, and it has been this way in Cameroon for at least 30 years."

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Cameroon’s international struggles go beyond the feud between the high-profile pair, as the Indomitable Lions recently failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, finishing below first-time qualifiers Cape Verde in Group D and then losing out to DR Congo in the CAF play-off semi-final to see their failure to qualify confirmed.

Eto’o himself has seen previous controversy during his time as president of the nation’s Football Federation. He was handed a six-month ban from attending national team matches by FIFA in 2024, after breaching two articles of the governing body's disciplinary code. A FIFA statement confirmed the disciplinary breaches occurred around a FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup last-16 match between Brazil and Cameroon. Eto'o has also faced accusations of corruption and electoral fraud.

Eto’o and Brys have ‘butted heads’ throughout the pair’s tenure in charge, the Belgian threatening to quit last year after his assistant Joachim Munanga was left out of the federation’s official matchday list by Eto’o, who he believed did this to undermine his authority.

With just 13 days until Cameroon kick off their opening game of the tournament and many squads believed to be travelling to Morocco by the start of next week, one of Eto’o or Brys are likely to ultimately get their way in terms of who manages the side for the tournament, and which players they will have at their disposal.

The chaos reflects a key difference in opinion between two powerful men in the federation, both of whom are attempting to use the federation’s rules to their own agenda. For one of Africa’s most celebrated footballing nations, this is far from an ideal scenario, and fans will hope to see a resolution in time for the finals later this month.