Joachim Mununga appointed Belgium U17 head coach after Cameroon controversy

Joachim Mununga, Marc Brys’ former assistant with Cameroon, has been appointed head coach of Belgium U17 after a turbulent spell with the Indomitable Lions.

The 38-year-old Belgian-Congolese coach will continue his career in Europe after gaining experience in African international football during the highly publicised dispute between Brys and the Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot).

Mununga takes charge of one of Belgium’s leading youth national teams, marking a return to the country where he was born and began both his playing and coaching careers.

He was developed in part at Mouscron and spent most of his playing career in Belgium before moving into management. The former attacking midfielder also made a brief appearance for the Leopards in a friendly during his playing days.

Mununga’s relationship with Brys began when he played under him at Mechelen. Brys later made him captain before, years afterwards, appointing him to his coaching staff with Cameroon.

During their time together with the Indomitable Lions, Mununga became an unwilling symbol of the dispute between Brys and Fecafoot.

In October 2024, after Cameroon’s 4-1 victory over Kenya, Brys publicly threatened to resign because Mununga had not been included on the match sheet.

“I promise you that if it happens again, I will stop immediately!” Brys said, after becoming angry that the composition of his staff had once again been challenged.

Fecafoot repeated the decision for the return match against Kenya, again preventing Mununga from taking his place on the bench. Brys ultimately decided to remain in his position, partly following requests from several senior members of the Indomitable Lions squad.

Brys had previously explained why he placed such importance on working with Mununga.

“In football, it is important to have people around you whom you trust completely. That is the case with Joachim,” he said, while also pointing out that Mununga holds a UEFA Pro licence.

The Cameroon appointment was Mununga’s first experience as part of the staff of a senior national team, although it proved a particularly eventful introduction to international management.

He will now move into the leading role himself, in an environment that should be considerably more familiar. His appointment by the Belgian federation gives him responsibility for Belgium U17 and the opportunity to establish his own identity as a head coach.

After spending much of his recent career working alongside Brys, the former brief DR Congo international now has the chance to begin building a path of his own in management.