AFCON 2025: Marc Brys Slams Samuel Eto'o as 'Narcissistic' in Escalating Cameroon Feud

The saga surrounding Marc Brys's tenure as Cameroon's head coach has taken another dramatic turn following the involvement of Samuel Eto'o.

After Samuel Eto'o attempted to sideline the Belgian by appointing a new coach last week, Marc Brys has now submitted his own squad for the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and launched a scathing attack on the federation president.

The conflict escalated last week when Samuel Eto'o, president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), announced a squad for the qualifiers, naming David Pagou as the interim coach and completely bypassing Marc Brys.

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This was seen as the latest attempt to undermine the Belgian, who was appointed by the country's Ministry of Sport against Samuel Eto'o's wishes.

"It has always been Eto'o's objective to get me out as quickly as possible," Marc Brys told VTM NIEUWS in response. "He insulted me from the very first minute, and I reacted. I was too much of a competitor for him."

Refusing to back down, Marc Brys has now gone on the offensive. He has submitted his own, alternative squad list for the upcoming fixtures.

His selection notably includes key players such as goalkeeper André Onana and forwards Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, all of whom were conspicuously absent from the list presented by Pagou, which is widely believed to have been compiled by Samuel Eto'o.

"Eto'o had left important players and leaders out of the squad," Marc Brys explained to Afrik Foot. "Because, of course, he was the one who made that selection. How can you go into these games without a world-class goalkeeper like Onana? Or without Aboubakar?"

"It's unbelievable, but it doesn't really surprise me. It comes from someone who is narcissistic and thinks he is the best."

While the football world awaits Samuel Eto'o's next move, Cameroon's Ministry of Sport has reaffirmed its support for Marc Brys. A ministry official confirmed to TV5 Monde that, despite Eto'o's claims, the Belgian remains the legitimate head coach.

"As long as the President of Cameroon does not officially appoint David Pagou as head coach, Mr Marc Brys remains the coach in the eyes of the state," the official stated.

The power struggle appears far from over, with the next chapter in this dramatic standoff eagerly anticipated.