Cameroon Sack Coach Marc Brys and Drop Onana Ahead of AFCON 2025

Cameroon has made shocking changes ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco, sacking Belgian coach Marc Brys and dropping Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana from the national squad. Brys’ dismissal came after a turbulent tenure marked by clashes with national football federation president and former star Samuel Eto’o. The decision follows Cameroon’s failure to secure automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

Despite being African record-holders with eight World Cup appearances, Cameroon lost out to Cape Verde and later fell 1-0 to the Democratic Republic of Congo in Morocco, eliminating their chances through the group runner-up route. Following his re-election as FECAFOOT president, Eto’o acted quickly, replacing Brys with local coach David Pagou. The 56-year-old has extensive domestic experience, having managed clubs like Coton Sport, the country’s dominant team over the past decade.

Who Made Cameroon’s AFCON Squad?
Andre Onana, currently on loan to Trabzonspor from Manchester United, was among four goalkeepers left out of the 28-man squad. Selected goalkeepers include Romania-based Devis Epassy and Simon Ngapandouetnbu of Montpellier in France’s second division.

Cameroon’s squad also sees Premier League representation with striker Bryan Mbeumo and midfielder Carlos Baleba. Veteran forward Vincent Aboubakar, the team’s leading scorer with eight goals in the 2022 AFCON, was surprisingly omitted. Cameroon, five-time AFCON champions, will face defending champions Ivory Coast, Gabon, and Mozambique in Group F. Group winners, runners-up, and the best four of the six third-place teams will advance to the knockout stages.

AFCON Updates: Other African Squads
Elsewhere, Newcastle United winger Yoane Wissa was excluded from DR Congo’s squad as he recovers from a knee injury. Sunderland’s Arthur Masuaku and Noah Sadiki, West Ham’s Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Burnley’s Axel Tuanzebe made the list. Egypt, coached by Hossam Hassan, included Liverpool attacker Mohamed Salah and Manchester United striker Omar Marmoush in their 28-man squad. DR Congo is in Group D with Senegal, Benin, and Botswana, while Egypt will face Angola, South Africa, and Zimbabwe in Group B.

Cameroon’s AFCON campaign begins amid significant squad changes, placing pressure on new coach Pagou to lead the five-time champions through a challenging tournament.

By Yockshard Enyendi