Fecafoot to foot salaries of national team coaches – Samuel Eto’o confirms

President of the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot), Samuel Eto’o, has confirmed a significant shift in the way the organisation manages its national teams.

In an interview with Digital B Agency, Eto’o revealed that Fecafoot will now directly cover the salaries of all national team coaches.

“We are the ones paying the coaches today,” he stated. “After 26 years in this business, I saw how others operated and realized this couldn’t continue. Relying on the government for all national team expenses was unsustainable. We needed time to change, and we have started. Now, we pay the salaries of all national team coaches ourselves.”

Previously, under the Marc Brys era, the Ministry of Sports (Minsep) managed these payments, creating tensions between Fecafoot and the Belgian coach, who was appointed without Eto’o’s consent.

By taking control of coach salaries, Fecafoot aims to reduce government dependency and strengthen financial autonomy.

Eto’o highlighted that the federation benefits from a network of sponsors, including MTN and Sky Motors, which recently gifted the Cameroonian Ballon d’Or winner a sports car.

“We have succeeded in another area and will continue to take care of ourselves. The state has seen the challenges caused by its approach, but we have held firm,” he added.

The move also affects past arrangements: Fecafoot had to pay David Pagou’s salary following his unilateral appointment as head coach of the national team, while Marc Brys continues to receive payments from Minsep under the terms of his existing contract, including the bonus for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).