Scandal: Eto'o sacks Cameroon coach before changing his mind

Controversies have plagued Samuel Eto’o throughout his tenure as the President of the Cameroon Football Association. He battled claims of match-fixing and the expulsions of important players like Andre Onana. The most recent development in this stormy tale is a well-publicized altercation with Cameroon coach Marc Brys.

The Cameroon national team named 61-year-old Belgian coach Marc Brys as their leader just six months after supposedly retiring. Before this position, Brys managed OH Leuven in Belgium for three seasons.

The Cameroonian Minister of Sport, Narcisse Mouelle Kombito, appointed Brys without first contacting the federation. Of course, Eto’o was not happy about it. Although he had some doubts, he still invited Brys to come to the CFA headquarters and start his job.

Refusing to let Brys’ employees inside the CFA headquarters caused tensions to flare up. The affair took a turn for the worse when a government official was kicked out of a meeting between Eto’o and Brys.

During a heated argument on May 28, the Indomitable Lions’ president demanded that Cyrille Tollo, the technical adviser to the sports minister, be expelled for invading a private conversation. “Call security and throw him out! This is the last time, understood?” Eto’o reportedly exclaimed.

Then, in an on-camera altercation, the 42-year-old former player let his displeasure show. He became angry and demanded more respect from the coach while also accusing him of making a lot of blunders. To this, the Belgian retorted that he was not in a managerial capacity and vented his frustrations.

Reversal of stance from Samuel Eto’o toward Marc Brys

Rapid consequences ensued as a result of this altercation. Eto’o used his position of power to summon an emergency meeting, which resulted in Brys’ firing. Nevertheless, the complex legal nature of Brys’ hiring denied the potential of Eto’o sacking the coach. In response to public pressure and uncertainty in the law, Eto’o reversed his earlier rejection.

Eto’o publicly apologized to him during a news conference. Eto’o reinstated Brys’ status as national team manager for the next matches against Angola and Cape Verde. This move brought some order to the squad to prepare it for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Some have seen Eto’o’s leadership as problematic from the beginning. It seems as if he is having trouble keeping control of the situation, what with the 2022 expulsion of Andre Onana and the suspicions of match-fixing.

This most recent episode with Brys furthers the story of Eto’o’s erratic leadership style. Another example of his explosive personality is his fight with a media member whom he said was harassing him relentlessly.

Despite all this controversy regarding Marc Brys, Samuel Eto’o is still a key man for Cameroonian soccer. He seems to have maintained his power inside the CFA and FIFA. This indicates a complicated link between his time as a lauded player and his current position as a troubled president.

PHOTOS: IMAGO