A mediocre paid several million: Samuel Etoo settles his accounts with the Marc Brys era

The divorce was granted, but resentment remains intact. Invited by Digital B Agency, the boss of Cameroonian football took advantage of the forum to justify his policy of "Cameroonization" of the bench with the nomination of David Pagou. Behind a reflection on the management of national talent was hidden a frontal attack against the Belgian technician, sacked just before the kick-off of the continental competition.

If we can afford to pay several million to a mediocre, I think we can pay billions to a brilliant Cameroonian [...] I just think that there are selfish people everywhere who prefer to deal with people who are mediocre and the reflex of the mediocre is to block those who are bright below and that, I cannot accept it,
hammered the former Lions captain.

The "Mediocre": an obvious target
For Samuel Eto'o, the facts seem to prove his instinct (or his ego, his detractors will say). While the appointment of Marc Brys had crystallized an unprecedented institutional crisis between the Ministry of Sports and the Federation, the choice of David Pagou to replace him at short notice bore fruit with notably: a place in the quarter-finals of the AFCON 2025 and especially a close-knit locker room, refocused on the field rather than on the administrative jousts.

If the name of Marc Brys was not pronounced, the term «mediocre» echoes a relationship that has, in reality, never started. From the arrival of the Belgian in the summer of 2024, the president of the Fecafoot had denounced an imposed appointment. By castigating those who «prefer to deal with mediocre», Eto'o targets both the coach and the political decision-makers who supported him.

Retrospective of the arm wrestle Fecafoot vs Minsep
The year 2024 was marked by an unprecedented institutional conflict between the Cameroonian Football Federation and the Ministry of Sports (Minsep), under the tutelage of Narcisse Mouelle Kombi.

1. The spark: the unilateral nomination (April 2024)

The conflict exploded on 2 April, when the Ministry announced, under "high instructions" from the Presidency, the appointment of Belgian Marc Brys as coach. Problem: Samuel Eto'o was not consulted. The Fecafoot denounces a flagrant interference and a violation of the presidential decree of 2014 which governs the organization of national selections.

2. The clash at Tsinga

The tension reaches its peak during a working session at the headquarters of the Fecafoot. A video becomes viral: we see Samuel Eto'o firmly expel a representative of the ministry and have a muscular verbal exchange with Marc Brys.

“I am the president of the federation! Here, you don’t do politics, it’s me who decides!” —

Samuel Eto’o to Marc Brys.

3. Two technical staff (June 2024)

For several weeks, Cameroon found itself with two distinct technical staffs for a single team: the one appointed by the Ministry (around Marc Brys) and the one appointed by the Fecafoot. There is complete confusion during the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches: disputes over the choice of hotel, access to the players' bus and even training equipment.

4. The logistical arm wrestle

The Fecafoot tries to take back control by refusing to validate certain administrative procedures (accreditations, FIFA logistics). For its part, the ministry relies on the Public Treasury to directly finance operations, bypassing the federation.

After months of armed peace and mixed sporting results with the ultimate goal of elimination in African dams from the 2026 World Cup, Samuel Eto'o finally won his case on the principle of technical sovereignty. Then comes the dismissal of Marc Brys just before the AFCON 2025 and his replacement by David Pagou.