Onana left out of Cameroon Afcon squad & coach sacked

Andre Onana was cut from Cameroon’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon), with the team in chaos after head coach Marc Brys was fired amid “subterfuge” allegations.

In a shocking statement, Samuel Eto’o and his executive committee announced Brys’ dismissal days after being re-elected as president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot).

It contains a long list of “professional failure” accusations against Brys, including “inciting” players to defy Fecafoot.

Eto’o, a decision that the Belgian was appointed by Cameroon’s sports ministry in April 2024, is also accused of “active collaboration with unknown individuals within Fecafoot.”

Additionally, he is accused of using “subterfuge to avoid his professional obligation to hold press conferences,” refusing to disclose his training plans, compromising relationships with sponsors, and releasing his squad selections on time.

Brys is replaced by David Pagou, a seasoned Cameroonian coach who has overseen several top-tier teams, by one of his assistants, David Pagou.

However, several important names are missing from Pagou’s 28-man squad for the upcoming Afcon in Morocco, which kicks off on December 21.

In addition to their goals, Onana, Vincent Aboubakar, Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, the team’s captain, and defender Michael Ngadeu.

Fecafoot and Cameroon’s ministry of sport have been at odds over whether the 63-year-old’s contract is legitimate and valid since Brys’ arrival.

But Eto’o’s regime has not only fired him, but many others.

The former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward quickly oversaw the dismissal of Portuguese manager Toni Concecaio, who had led Cameroon to a third-place finish on home soil at the 2021 Afcon despite ministry opposition, having first been elected to Fecafoot’s top job in December 2021.

Under the direction of Cameroon’s president, Paul Biya, Rigobert Song was immediately chosen as Conceicao’s replacement.

Song led his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, which Onana left early after being suspended by Fecafoot, but a poor performance at the previous Afcon in Ivory Coast put an end to the former West Ham and Liverpool defender’s tenure in charge. Strongly rumored to be Eto’o’s choice, Song led his country at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

At Fecafoot, the sports ministry’s choice of Brys as Song’s replacement was met with “great astonishment.”

After a heated argument with Eto’o, the Belgian was removed less than two months later, but he was reinstated two days later as the federation president apologized.

After losing to Dr Congo in the African play-offs, Brys’ recent failure to qualify his team for the next year’s World Cup appears to indicate Eto’o has finally gotten his way.

However, it’s still to be seen if Fecafoot and Eto’o will agree to the ministry’s payment of the head coach’s salary. The BBC has been informed that it has nothing to say right now.

Njie Enow, a Cameroonian analyst, said: “It’s difficult to see how a new manager will be able to put together a playing system, create an environment where the players can express themselves fluently on the pitch and play as a unit.

The most well-known absence from Cameroon’s Afcon squad is Onana, who has 59 caps.

Given his recent success at major tournaments and his recent form at Manchester United before being loaned to Turkish side Trabzonspor in September, it might not come as a surprise.

He delayed his arrival at the tournament in order to play an extra game for United, and he also lost his place in the starting lineup for the 2023 Afcon.

He returned for the 3-1 defeat by Senegal, a game in which he was arguably responsible for the opening goal despite being excluded from the Indomitable Lions’ first group game against Guinea as a result.

The Gambia defeated Nigeria in the final 16; Fabrice Ondoa was then chosen to lead the team.

Onana’s loan move to Trabzonspor did allow him to regain his position as Cameroon’s number one under Brys, and he also helped him start last month’s World Cup play-off defeat by DR Congo.

The 29-year-old no longer has a place in a squad that includes four goalkeepers because Brys is gone.

Both Bryan Mbeumo and Carlos Baleba, a team-mate of Onana’s at Old Trafford, are included.

However, Anguissa, the reigning champion of Serie A and who chose to prioritize his recovery at Napoli, will undoubtedly miss out on his experience.

Without a number of their well-known stars, Cameroon is difficult to find in Morocco.