Eto'o is accused of 'sabotaging' the Cameroon national team.

Having been sacked just weeks before AFCON 2025, former coach Marc Brys publicly criticized Cameroon Football Federation President Samuel Eto'o, accusing the legend of manipulating the national team's roster.

Eto'o once played for Barcelona.

Cameroonian football continues to be mired in serious divisions. Following their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) caused another shock by sacking head coach Marc Brys in early December, just weeks before the national team was due to compete in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.

Not remaining silent, the Belgian strategist bluntly criticized FECAFOOT President Samuel Eto'o, whom he believes is behind all the recent controversial decisions. Responding to Afrik-Foot, Brys used unusually harsh language: “It’s unbelievable, but I’m not surprised it came from a narcissist who thinks he’s the most handsome.”

According to Brys, Eto'o not only fired him but also directly interfered with the team's roster. "He removed important players, true leaders. How can you participate in AFCON without a world-class goalkeeper like Andre Onana, or a charismatic striker like Vincent Aboubakar? They were left out for daring to stand up to the president," Brys alleged.

Neither Onana nor Aboubakar were included in Cameroon's squad for AFCON 2025, a decision that caused outrage both domestically and internationally. After Brys was sacked, David Pagou was appointed as the new coach, but this change did not alleviate the crisis.

“I’m disappointed not for myself, but for the whole team,” Brys told TV5Monde. “The team was very focused on the Africa Cup of Nations. These decisions weren’t collective, nor were they normal. It was like an act of self-sabotage. You can’t get rid of a bunch of key players just because you think you don’t need them.”

In late November, despite a wave of criticism, Samuel Eto'o was re-elected as President of FECAFOOT. Immediately afterwards, he dismissed Brys and announced the Cameroon squad for AFCON. As a result, Yvan Neyou, the 28-year-old Getafe midfielder with 11 caps for the national team, announced his retirement from international football.

"Wearing the Cameroon jersey has always been a great honor for me. Thank you, my homeland, for everything. Good luck to the team at AFCON and in the upcoming matches," Neyou wrote on Instagram.

AFCON 2025 hasn't even started yet, but based on what's happening, Cameroon is entering the tournament in a deeply divided atmosphere, with all the blame still directed at Samuel Eto'o.

Source: https://znews.vn/eto-o-bi-cao-buoc-pha-tuyen-cameroon-post1611800.html