Former Cameroon head coach Marc Brys reportedly received a performance-related bonus following the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, despite not being in charge of the national team at the tournament.
The Belgian tactician was paid a bonus stipulated in his contract after Cameroon reached the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, held in Morocco.
The payment was reportedly triggered by a clause in his agreement with the Cameroonian Football Federation, which rewarded progression to the last eight of the competition.
Meanwhile, David Pagou, who led the team at the tournament did not receive any bonus for the team’s performance. The report suggests that this discrepancy stems from unresolved administrative and legal issues surrounding the coaching position.
As per reports, Marc Brys has not been formally dismissed from his role, and thus continues to receive his salary in full, a situation that has raised eyebrows within Cameroonian football circles and beyond.
At the heart of the controversy lies an ongoing power struggle between the Cameroonian Ministry of Sports and Samuel Eto’o, president of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT). Ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, Eto’o moved to dismiss Bry and appoint David Baggio as his replacement. However, the Ministry of Sports reportedly rejected this decision, insisting that the Belgian coach remained the officially recognized head coach of the national team.
This institutional standoff has left Cameroon in a peculiar and all-too-familiar African football scenario, where overlapping authorities and conflicting decisions create confusion over leadership, contracts, and financial obligations—a situation often described across the continent as typical of “Mama Africa.”
On the pitch, Cameroon’s AFCON campaign ended in disappointment, as they were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Morocco following a 2–0 defeat, bringing an end to a turbulent tournament both on and off the field.
