Fecofoot: Mayolas hits out at Ngata and the Sports Ministry

A bizarre atmosphere. Rarely has a national team coach been so publicly rebuked by his own governing authority. At a press conference in Brazzaville on Saturday, Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas pulled no punches. He was there to explain the latest developments around the national team, and in particular the June international break, which featured a forfeit against Niger and a heavy 6-0 defeat by Morocco, but the Fecofoot chief ended up settling a few scores instead. It gave him the chance to lay bare to the public how the governing body is run and, above all, its relationship with the Sports Ministry.

Read more on the subject : 2026 World Cup (Q): absent against Niger, Congo officially forfeit

Mayolas had the ministry that oversees the federation firmly in his sights, accusing it of imposing Isaac Ngata as national team coach without taking Fecofoot's observations into account. "As regards Mr Ngata, we must tell you that he was imposed on the federation, unilaterally, by the Sports Ministry, just as we had launched the call for applications. You should also know that, to this day, the Congolese Football Federation has refrained from signing a contract with this coach for very clear and obvious reasons: Coach Ngata's level of training, knowledge and competence is in no way suited to the post he holds today," he said, holding up the coach's and his staff's diplomas as he went, stating each time: "Coaching licence ".

"A second-rate national team coach"

The Fecofoot president went on to lament: "Unfortunately, the reservations raised by the federation, regarding his shortcomings, were dismissed out of hand by the Sports Ministry." Jean-Guy Blaise Mayolas also criticised the bloated staff of 18 members, without the required qualifications to guide the team. "The Red Devils found themselves with a second-rate coach, backed by a staff who are no better," he said, before taking care to point out that for its part, "Fecofoot has fulfilled its mission, namely calling up the players, supplying the sports equipment and naming its representatives to be part of the delegation travelling abroad with the national team."

As for the rest, President Mayolas places full responsibility on the Sports Ministry which, by his account, imposed its budget, its choices and its organisation on Fecofoot. "As regards transport, accommodation and bonuses, the Congolese Football Federation was never involved. It will therefore be unable to give you any explanation or clarification on the choice of transport, places of accommodation and the amount of the bonuses. Given that the quotes are drawn up by the Sports Ministry, whereas this falls within the remit of the technical body, which is Fecofoot, " he explained, before continuing: "I will therefore not be able to tell you, again, how much a player receives for a win or a draw, or how much he receives in mission expenses."

Little hope for the 2025 AFCON

For the federation's president, Congo can already write off any hypothetical qualification for the 2026 World Cup. As for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, the task looks just as difficult, with qualifying set to begin in September. "If the same causes produce the same effects, it is to be feared that the race to qualify for the AFCON will be nothing more than one more mirage, should vigorous changes not be made in the running of the national team, at every level," he warned, seemingly in a bid to urge the Sports Ministry to rethink its position.

Following this media appearance, Red Devils fans have lamented the way the national team, and by extension Congolese football as a whole, is being run. While some blame the ministry, others also point the finger at the attack on coach Isaac Ngata, as well as at the failings and inaction of Fecofoot, which allowed the situation to take hold, to the detriment of Congolese football, which looks set for a turbulent period.