Confusion Rocks Cameroon: Two Different AFCON Squad Released

Cameroon’s preparations for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have descended into unprecedented turmoil, with the country heading into the tournament amid a bitter power struggle that has produced two rival squad lists and two coaches both claiming legitimate authority.

With less than two weeks to Cameroon’s opening match against Gabon, the Indomitable Lions are engulfed in confusion following a high-profile standoff between the President of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto’o, and Marc Brys, the Belgian coach appointed by the Ministry of Sports.

The crisis deepened after Eto’o announced the dismissal of Brys and unveiled David Pagou as the new head coach, alongside a completely different 28-man squad for the tournament. However, Brys has rejected the decision, insisting that his contract remains valid and that only a formal presidential decree can terminate his appointment.

Tensions escalated further when Brys publicly criticised Eto’o, describing the former football icon as “narcissistic” and accusing him of placing personal interests above the national team. Brys claimed that his relationship with Eto’o had been strained from their first meeting and alleged that efforts to remove him began almost immediately after his appointment.

Eto’o’s AFCON squad announcement intensified the controversy, particularly due to the exclusion of key players such as André Onana, Eric Choupo-Moting, and Vincent Aboubakar, a move widely interpreted as evidence of deep internal divisions and power struggles within Cameroonian football.

In response, Brys released his own squad list, maintaining that he remains the rightful head coach of the national team. His defiance has created an extraordinary situation in which players, officials, and supporters are uncertain over who is officially in charge and which squad will ultimately represent Cameroon at AFCON.