“We are apolitical and the staff and the players”, Marc Brys before Cameroon-Cape Verde

At a press conference on Friday, Marc Brys spoke about the Cameroon-Cape Verde match this Saturday, counting for the 3rd day of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. And the coach of the Indomitable Lions reacted to the crisis which is polluting his den.

This Saturday, Cameroon will host Cape Verde as part of the third day of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. A decisive match as the two teams are neck and neck in the middle of the table in Group D. Respectively fourth and fifth with four points each, this match could well be decisive for the rest of their journey in the playoffs.

Appointed head of the Indomitable Lions at the beginning of April, Marc Brys is preparing to have his first experience as a coach. However, his arrival on the scene was not a fairy tale. The Flemish technician, former coach of Louvain, was inducted in a climate of tensions within the Cameroonian Football Federation (Fécafoot) and with its president, Samuel Eto'o.

Appointed without the approval of Fécafoot by the Ministry of Sports (Minsep), Brys had to face accusations of “failures” and an unprecedented situation: he is the only coach to have two different staffs, one appointed by Minsep, the other by Fécafoot, with which he has not yet collaborated.

A delicate situation handled with composure

Despite these difficulties, Marc Brys remains unmoved. At Friday's press conference, he said he was not disturbed by the internal conflicts and asked that his team be left alone to concentrate on their work. “ We are apolitical, both the staff and the players. We're doing our job and we're asking you to let us do our job because it's the most important thing. We stay focused and we are not afraid”, he declared with determination. He also minimized the tensions between the two staffs: “ We have no problem with either one.”

A high-risk first

The context is therefore not ideal for a first as coach. The crisis even affected the team directly, with incidents such as the deprivation of equipment due to disagreements between Minsep and Fécafoot. Nonetheless, Brys and his team seem determined to overcome these obstacles