A complex administrative dispute within Cameroonian football has led to a stark financial contrast between two national team coaches, raising questions over management and contractual obligations.
According to reports from RMCsport, Marc Brys, the Belgian coach whose tenure as head of the Indomitable Lions was controversially ended by the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT) last year, has reportedly received his bonus for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
This payment occurs alongside the reported continuation of his monthly salary, estimated to be between 44,000 and 66,000 Euros. The reason, as cited by the sports ministry, is a jurisdictional clash. While FECAFOOT announced Brys’s dismissal, the Ministry of Sports claims sole authority for hiring and firing national team coaches. Because the Ministry never formally terminated Brys’s contract, he is still considered an employee in their records, thus obligating them to pay him.
Meanwhile, David Pagou, the coach who has been leading the team on an interim basis following Brys’s exit, finds himself in a difficult position. Reports indicate he has not received any salary or bonus for his work. This is because Pagou, appointed by FECAFOOT, does not hold a formal employment contract with the Ministry of Sports, the body responsible for releasing the funds.
The situation highlights a clear administrative deadlock. The football federation and the sports ministry, two key pillars of Cameroonian sport, appear to be following separate procedures, with the coaches caught in the middle.
The Ministry of Sports maintains it is following the law by paying an employee whose contract it never officially ended. FECAFOOT, on the other hand, has moved forward with a new coaching setup that currently lacks official financial backing from the state.