Cameroonian football dey in a state of chaos.
For kontri wey dey boast of five continental titles and di most world cup finals appearances by an African nation, di past two months don see public kasala ova who for coach di indomitable lions.
Last week Marc Brys wey be Belgian don chop sack as coach – but dem reappoint am within 48 hours.
But dis drama ahead of dia 2026 world cup qualifiers na only a tip of di iceberg inside one battle for di control of di game.
Di man wey dey run football for di central African nation na former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o, legend for Africa and di record goalscorer for Cameroon wey dem elect am as president of di federation in December 2021.
But one of Eto’o im former international teammates don describe am as “dictator” sake of di way im dey run di organization – di evidence na di wahala im get wit di kontri sports ministry ova di coach Brys.
“Samuel be di biggest player for Africa but plenti trouble dey happun around am,” di retired player wey no wan make pipo know am sake of backlash, tok BBC Sports Africa.
“Im no dey listen to advice. Wen you manage pipo, you no suppose begin act like dictator.
“I neva know say im go dey like dis and e go dey hard say im go kontinu.”
Players don beg say make di team dey “politically free” but some fans don already dey tok say make Fifa suspend Cameroon ova dis wahala.
Di curious. case of Marc Brys
Di arrival of Brys for April afta Rigobert Song don leave afta di Afcon, create ogbonge drama.
Fecafoot don express “great surprise” wen di sports ministry announce say dem appoint di 62 year-old wey coach clubs for Belgium, di Netherlands and Saudi Arabia.
Eto’o at di time get im own list of candidates wey reportedly include two-time Afcon-winning coach Herve Renard, Italian World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro and ex-Nigeria boss Jose Peseiro.
“Di only problem na salaries,” Cameroon sports journalist Giovanni Wanneh tok BBC Sport Africa.
“Brys neva be di best but we no dey tok about pesin we don pick from di gutter. Minsep don play dis card bifor wey e work out well well for cameroon.”
For Cameroon, di goment dey pay di salaries of national team coach and staff wey im dey feel say dem get right to enta di football federation affairs.
Eto’o neva show up for di presentation wen Brys don sign im contract on 8 April wey dia first meeting on 28 May don create drama.
Fecafoot don react by replacing Brys wit interim coach, but dem do quick u-turn afta pressure from di sports ministry.
Dis week bring more tension as di indomitable Lions squad don meet for Yaounde ahead of di visit of Cape Verde for di World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
Two different set of administrators don meet di players for di team hotel wey Fecafoot no provide kit for di first training session wey Brys dey prepare to lead.
Wit di wahala, striker Moumi Ngamaleu don call for unity.
“You dey responsible to keep di team free of politics to maintain clean environment for us to perform without wahala,” im write for instagram.
“We want make you pipo overcome di differences – put di ego aside and remember we all dey here to put di pipo of Cameroon on di map.”
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana dey among di several players wey don repost Ngamaleu im message for instagram.
One senior confederation of Africa football official tok say im dey open to mediate di wahala between Fecafoot and Minsep, eventho dem no receive such request yet.
‘Big wrong tins’ under Eto’o
Di way Eto’o don treat Brys na only di latest instance wey make im dey get negative attention since im become Fecafoot president.
“Di fact say you be top footballer neva dey automatic say you go be great administrator,” Wanneh don tok.
“I tink say im go change di narrative for our football. But cameroon football dey im worst moment under im regime.”
For July last year, one group wey dey represent amateur clubs for Cameroon tok say make di 43 year-old resign, ova wetin dem describe as “big wrong tins” for di organization.
Among dis wrong tins na Eto’o im decision to be ambassador wit one sports betting company – dis sabi dey against both Fifa and Fecafoot rules.
Caf don dey investigate di accusation of improper conduct against Eto’o.
“Im be di legitimate president of di federation. But nobody dey above di law,” Caf secretary general Veron Mosengo-Omba don tok BBC Sport Africa.
Di battle for control
For Cameroon sport, pipo dey feel di influence of president Paul Biya.
Im inisist say make dem include Roger Miller for di squad of di 1990 world cup – wey di 38-year-old score four times – while di appointment of Rigobert Song for 2022 don happun sake of im “high instructions.”
Na goment wey dey put di money into di game,” Wanneh tok.
“Fecafoot neva fit to cater for dia own expenditure sake of how di structure don dey,” di journalist add.
For kontris wia goments don interfere for football affairs, dem dey at risk off Fifa suspension – Cameroon and oda kontris don suffer dis for di past – yet Minsep so far no enta dat area where Fifa go begin tink about banning dem.
Even tho pipo don blast Fifa pages say make dem take action, Eto’o gat di backing of many supporters say im wan break free of di perceived control of goment.
“Eto’o sabi di challenge im get enta into.” one pesin Heuyo Hubert for di streets of Yaounde don tok.
“All I fit do be say make I wish am well sake of e neva dey easy to have Cameroon pipo who fit to fight for dia rights nowadays.”
Anoda fan, Calvin Ngimbond dey feel say di wahala between Eto’o and Brys “gatz im place.”
“Tins gatz to dey clear. Marc Brys gatz to align imsef wit di wetin dey need of Fecafoot president,” im add.
“We dey hope say tins go improve make peace return.”
BBC Sport Africa don contact Fecafoot, Minsep and Fifa for dia comment on di recent developments but dem all neva respond.
Cameroon get world cup qualifiers against two teams wey do beta pass Cameroon for Afcon – wit trip to Angola on Tuesday afta di game against Cape Verde.
Brys already don endure plenty wahala to di start of im new job – wey im for know say di pressure go soon increase.
“Cameroon no longer be di biggest national team for Africa,” di anonymous former international don add.
“I dey very sad wen I look at wetin dey go on. If dey want go back to di top, dey gat to reorganize everitin.”
Cameroon football dey make di headlines for ‘di wrong reasons’
Analysis by Paul Njie, BBC reporter for Cameroon
Di wahala for Cameroon football no dey new, but di way di drama and tension between Fecafoot and di sports ministry don become, dey serious.
Right now, indomitable lions supporters don conf as to wetin be right and wetin be wrong – just like di football pipo also dey divided.
For many reasons, pipo dey see dis wahala as a true test of Eto’o im leadership for kontri wan goment dey interfere for football matter well well.
Despite di plenti allegation against im management and di investigation by Caf ova alleged misconduct, di four-time African player of di year still dey popular for di kontri.
Im still dey enjoy plenty love and support for di kontri and beyond.
E no dey clear how dis sakala go end but some pipo want make di kontri president Paul Biya enta di mata – especially as di two camps tok say dem dey implement “high instructions” from am.
Until dat time, for di streets, di markets, bars and local media, pipo go continue to doubt if di indomitable lions go even play dia world cup qualifiers against Cape Verde and Angola.
Cameroon football don dey make di headlines across di world once again, but for all di wrong reasons.
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