May 22 – Football chaos in Cameroon has taken yet another downward turn after the appointment of Belgian Marc Brys as head coach was blocked by the country’s top sports tribunal.
Last month, the government, in what appeared to be a clear violation of FIFA rules over third party interference, unilaterally named 61-year-old Brys as manager of the Indomitable Lions without consulting the football federation (FECAFOOT).
In response, the federation asked its president Samuel Eto’o to propose a national coach and other management staff, deepening its standoff with the sports ministry.
Eto’o decided to keep Brys but named different assistants, technical, medical and administrative staff.
But an amateur club took the matter to the country’s top sports court and in a provisional ruling on Tuesday, the court suspended the FECAFOOT appointments while it fully examined the issue.
FECAFOOT in response said it “reserves the right to refer these decisions to FIFA, as they hinder the preparation process for the forthcoming sport events.
“The Emergency Committee of FECAFOOT will meet immediately to take appropriate measures,” it said in a statement.
FIFA has strict rules against government interference in national federations and has frequently banned countries when governments get involved in federation affairs.
The president of the Cameroon Association of Amateur Football Clubs, Balla Ongolo Henri, had previously said Eto’o’s appointments would damage Cameroon’s image and disrupt preparations for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next June.
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