The institutional conflict within Cameroonian football has escalated to an unprecedented level, just two weeks before the start of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The crisis began with the dismissal of Belgian coach Marc Brys by the Cameroonian Football Federation, chaired by Samuel Eto'o, and the appointment of David Pagou as his replacement. In response, Brys, who insists that his contract with the Ministry of Sports is still valid, announced an alternative list of 28 players to participate in the tournament, thereby creating two competing squads for the national team.

The official Al-Ittihad roster announced by the new coach featured shocking surprises, most notably the absence of key players such as goalkeeper André Onana and veteran striker Vincent Aboubakar. This exclusion reinforced Marc Bris' narrative, who openly criticized Eto'o, describing him as a "narcissistic and arrogant person" seeking to remove him because he poses a threat to his influence, emphasizing that the current chaos stems from personal agendas rather than national interest.

This administrative and legal conflict between the federation and the Ministry of Sports, manifested in the presence of two coaches and two rosters, puts the national team players in a difficult position and directly threatens the preparations of the "Untamed Lions" for the continental tournament. While Eto insists on the legitimacy of his decisions, Marc Brice calls on the ministry to end the confusion and sabotage facing the team, necessitating decisive intervention to ensure the team's stability ahead of the crucial matches in Group F of the tournament.