Marc Brys received a performance bonus linked to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations despite being removed from his duties as Cameroon head coach on the eve of the tournament, highlighting ongoing administrative confusion surrounding the national team’s management.
The Belgian coach was replaced shortly before the AFCON by David Pagou, a decision announced by the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fecafoot).
However, Brys’s contractual situation meant that, in legal terms, he remained Cameroon’s coach throughout the competition.
Speaking days after the change, Fecafoot president Samuel Eto’o insisted that no dismissal had taken place, stating that he had “ fired no one ” but had simply “ appointed his coach
”. The remarks reflected the long-running disagreement between the federation and the Ministry of Sports over Brys’s appointment, which Eto’o had never formally recognised.
Brys had been recruited in April 2024 by the Ministry of Sports rather than Fecafoot and signed a two-and-a-half-year contract directly with the Cameroonian state.
According to a ministry official quoted by Sport News Africa, “ the state never officially terminated Mr. Brys’s contract .” Without formal notification of dismissal, the contractual arrangement remained in force despite his removal from the bench.
That legal continuity had financial consequences. A source close to the matter confirmed that Brys received a bonus connected to Cameroon’s performance at the 2025 AFCON, amounting to just over 20 million CFA francs, or approximately €30,500.
The payment reflected the Indomitable Lions’ progress to the quarter-finals of the tournament.
In addition, Brys is reported to have continued receiving his monthly salary. Estimates vary between €44,000 and €60,000 per month, a figure that includes remuneration for his assistant and video analyst, but sources agree that payments have not been interrupted.
“ Whether we like it or not, the administration cannot unilaterally suspend a contract without a legal basis ,” a Ministry of Sports official told Sport News Africa on condition of anonymity.
Brys himself has repeatedly stated that he never received any official letter confirming the end of his contract and continues to consider himself Cameroon’s head coach.
In contrast, the situation of David Pagou and his staff appears far less secure. Appointed by Fecafoot on the eve of the AFCON, Pagou oversaw the team during the tournament but reportedly did so without a formal contract and without receiving any salary to date.
Responsibility for Pagou’s pay remains disputed. The Ministry of Sports argues that Fecafoot should cover the costs, as it imposed the technical staff, while the federation rejects that position, insisting Pagou coaches the national team rather than a separate entity.
The episode has once again exposed deep governance problems within Cameroonian football, where administrative, political and sporting authorities continue to work at cross-purposes, even as the national team shows signs of progress on the pitch.
