Cameroon: players break their silence amid standoff between Fecafoot and Sports Ministry
Cameroon's national team are once again enduring a turbulent international break. The players have finally spoken out.
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Cameroon's national team are once again going through a turbulent international break, with the 5th and 6th rounds of 2026 World Cup qualifying upon them. With tensions still palpable in the dispute between the Sports Ministry and the Cameroonian Football Federation, and head coach Marc Brys and his assistant caught in the middle, the players have now broken their silence.
On the eve of the crucial match against Libya, the 6th round of 2026 World Cup qualifying, captain Vincent Aboubakar and his team-mates spoke out late on Monday evening. From their Hilton hotel in Yaoundé, the Indomitable Lions held an improvised press conference at around 22:30 GMT. With the full squad lined up behind Vincent Aboubakar, they let their captain read out their statement.
Read also: Cameroon: Marc Brys furious after draw against Eswatini
In the statement, the players clearly take a side in the dispute between head coach Marc Brys, appointed by the Sports Ministry, and the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), headed by Samuel Eto'o.
The Lions back their head coach
“Given the gravity of the situation we are living through, we cannot remain silent (…) We are fully committed to our duties and, for that, we need stability and calm around our team. However, we have to acknowledge that lately we have been facing difficulties that go beyond sport and that directly affect our performances, as well as the image of our great nation ”, captain Vincent Aboubakar said, among other things.
🇨🇲🎙️Vincent Aboubakar, captain of the Indomitable Lions, issues a statement calling for calm around the Cameroon national team and an end to the conflict between MINSEP and FECAFOOT.
— Sport News Africa (@snewsafrica) March 24, 2025
“We reiterate our unwavering support for our head coach and his technical staff, in whom we have total confidence. We deeply believe in their ability to guide us to success and to achieve Cameroon's collective ambitions,” Aboubakar said. “We would like to call on the Cameroonian Football Federation. We acknowledge and thank this institution for the support it has given us so far, but it is essential that it guarantees an environment conducive to calm and to the smooth running of our team. The disruption and discord we have seen recently help neither our coach, nor our staff, nor us, the players. These tensions are indeed having an impact on our performances and our ability to achieve our objectives. Therefore, we implore the Federation to do everything in its power to allow our head coach and his staff to work in peace and with the necessary stability ”, the striker went on.
Will that be enough to ease the tensions? Too early to say, with persistent rumours of the “recruitment” of “supporters” by people close to Fecafoot, so that they go to the stadium to jeer Marc Brys and pile more pressure on the Belgian coach. Hardly the best way to prepare for a match that will be crucial in the race to qualify for the World Cup.