Indomitable Lions: Marc Brys' method under the microscope

Everyone has seen it: the Indomitable Lions are playing much better football. And the change bears one man's stamp: Marc Brys. Between his arrival in Cameroon in April and the two games against Cape Verde (a 4-1 win on 8 June) and Angola (a 1-1 draw on 11 June), the 62-year-old Belgian has gone from "coach with a blank CV" to "astute tactician", according to comments from many fans of Vincent Aboubakar's side.

Ambition and character

"Marc Brys has taken over the Lions in a very difficult context, marked by the conflict between the Ministry of Sports and Fécafoot. Fortunately, he has not been affected by the situation, whereas another coach would have thrown in the towel on the spot. That shows he has ambition and character. Those are the first qualities a good coach must have," says Michel Tadoun, a former Cameroonian professional footballer.

The only boss on board (?)

At first glance, Marc Brys has played his cards close to his chest. His clash with Fécafoot president Samuel Eto'o gave him a "bad boy" image, but he had already made his position clear: "I am the coach, I make the decisions." More than a retort to the former Barça striker, the coach was sending a message to his players. And his charisma and natural authority show from the training ground. Brys follows every drill closely. He is out on the pitch, moving around, up and down, so he has a panoramic view of the group.

He talks a lot with his players and does not hesitate to stop an exercise if a touch, a pass or a movement is poorly executed. The lesson is repeated as many times as needed, until the players take it in. "Brys has managed to captivate all the players, most of whom have reinvented themselves in the space of two games. They give the impression of having already learned a lot from him," adds Michel Tadoun.

Style of play

Among the reasons why fresh hope has emerged with Brys' arrival on the Cameroon bench is his style. He has built his philosophy on complementarity and the idea of "the joy of playing together". The Lions are no longer a collection of individuals but a single unit that defends, builds and attacks together. Brys has restored balance to Cameroon. He has got nine players to take on the roles of eleven. So Aboubakar can now move easily between attack, the wing and midfield, Zambo shifts from midfield into a false number 9 role, while Tolo and Faï, the full-backs, turn into pivots.

In their two recent games, the Indomitable Lions have shown great work rate. They all contribute in attack and defence, except goalkeeper André Onana and defender Wooh. That has left players free between the lines. That is the Brys style: he wants his team to win the ball back high up the pitch and reorganise as soon as possession is lost. He also likes the game to be quick, built on short passes, with one Carlos Baleba pulling the strings and showing some fine touches.

This was a team that was a pleasure to watch, showing cohesion, determination and a great spirit. "I have been in this job for 27, 28 years and I have never seen such a solid group," Marc Brys admitted. And what if he is the "white sorcerer" Cameroon have been waiting for since the departure of his compatriot Hugo Broos, winner of the 2017 AFCON with the Indomitable Lions?

Arthur Wandji