Brys quits as Cameroon coach citing unpaid salary
Brys has had a testy relationship with Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) president Samuel Eto'o since taking the job in April 2024, but his position is funded by the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education.
The coach said in a letter to the ministry, seen by Reuters, that he has made the "decision to unilaterally terminate the said contract for cause, due to the non-payment of my remuneration and that of my staff for more than 60 days."
FECAFOOT said in a statement on Wednesday they had noted the resignation and would "implement a coordinated response to mitigate the impact of this vacancy at the head of the national team's technical staff."
Cameroon have been drawn in a group with defending champions Ivory Coast, Gabon and Mozambique at the December 21-January 18 finals of the AFCON.
They are currently second in their qualifying pool for next year's World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada, a point behind Cape Verde with four rounds remaining. Only the top team automatically earns their place at the finals.
The qualification campaign will conclude in September and October.
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The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
As England's Lionesses roared, Nigeria's queens of Africa made football history
Hello and welcome to The Long Wave. On Sunday, depending on which hemisphere you live in, you are likely to have seen or heard about a squad of supremely talented women pulling off a remarkable comeback to bring home silverware to a proud country. Congrats to England's triumphant Lionesses, who retained the Euros trophy. But here, it's all about Nigeria's Super Falcons. I checked in with Eromo Egbejule, our west Africa correspondent, to talk about last weekend's electric Women's Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) final, which Nigeria won for the 10th time. Like all great matches, the final had the burden of heavy expectation bearing down on it. The stakes were greater than just claiming the trophy: for Morocco, it was about winning on home turf, in front of families and thousands of supporters. The squad, which seemed on the brink of another global tournament watershed after the men's team reached the semi-final of the World Cup for the first time, were in pole position for most of the match. The Atlas Lionesses were winning 2-0 until the 64th minute before conceding three goals, the last one a devastating two minutes before the final whistle. Despite the sense that Morocco's moment had finally come, Nigeria's Super Falcons raised the trophy again. It was their 10th from a total of 14 tournaments – a dominance, which had been interrupted three years ago by South Africa, providing ample motivation this time out. So intense is the rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa that Eromo says the Super Falcons' victory over Banyana Banyana in the semi-final had 'felt like the final'. The reception in Nigeria was, of course, celebratory. People are 'definitely, definitely happy', Eromo says. 'The Falcons have always been popular because they are very very dominant.' But a new element of this tournament has widened their appeal: social media. 'A couple of players have been posting on Snapchat,' Eromo says, which has brought the team closer to a new generation of supporters. Of those players, Michelle Alozie, right back and also, remarkably, a cancer research technician, is such a prolific poster that she came under fire for her 'unserious' habit. After Nigeria won, she uploaded a story from the pitch with the caption 'now let me post in peace'. It was the first African tournament outing for Alozie and the MVP of the final, Esther Okoronkwo, both of whom have large social media followings. What makes the Super Falcons so super? Eromo ascribes Nigeria's success to two factors. The first is simply a head start – Nigerian women's football developed at an international level earlier than other African countries. And Nigeria, in general, was one of the early African movers. (I am of the generation that still remembers, with cinematic detail, the heartbreaking Italian goal that denied Nigeria a historic spot in the men's World Cup quarter-finals in 1994.) The other factor is one that Eromo describes as a mental edge. 'Nigerians thrive in chaos,' he suggests, half in jest and half with a sort of national pride, in reference to a playing style that bewilders and scatters the strategic plans of their opponents. The rest, he says, can be attributed to living in the diaspora: Nigerian players have acquired valuable experience while playing for teams in Europe and the US. Some of the Super Falcons form part, or have been part, of teams such as Paris FC, Barcelona and Houston Dash. Winners – but not without challenge Sign up to The Long Wave Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world after newsletter promotion Despite the emphatic win, Eromo insists it was not business as usual. 'During the first couple of games, Nigeria did all right – but then it was hard. You could tell that other teams were stepping up.' Indeed, Equatorial Guinea have won the trophy previously, as have South Africa, and then Morocco flew to the final, buoyed up by their home crowd. Now Nigeria's dominance is no longer a sure thing and other African countries are making big investments in their teams and in women's football in general. Eromo says Morocco, in particular, are developing quickly, thanks in part to a sports sector that pays players well at a local league level. And so it is among a trio of strong challengers to Nigeria. Where there is football, there is politics Eromo suggests the one factor curdling that 'definite, definite' happiness is how some in Nigeria are a bit hesitant about the country's president appropriating the win as good PR for his unpopular leadership. Bola Tinubu asked the Super Falcons to bring the trophy to Abuja so he could welcome them home – all of which seems 'natural to do', Eromo says. But it is seen as 'the president trying to whitewash his performance', which includes economic policies that have not trickled down. 'More people are hungrier than ever, and the security situation is still in chaos. There's a lot of state propaganda floating around. This is seen as another example of Tinubu trying to gain goodwill ahead of the next election.' This is a moment that should belong to the Super Falcons and, in a wider sense, African women's football. Every tournament introduces a new crop of talented players to the continent, and overshadows what are usually more dominant western competitions. I mention to Eromo that the Wafcon final took place within the same 24 hours as the Women's Euro competition. 'To be honest, I didn't know the Euros final was even on until I started hearing about another Michelle,' he says. Not Alozie but Michelle Agyemang, the England forward of Ghanaian descent who was named young player of the tournament. The big week of women's football was truly a global, diasporic affair. To receive the complete version of The Long Wave in your inbox every Wednesday, please subscribe here.
The Guardian
6 hours ago
- The Guardian
How Nigeria completed ‘Mission X' and won their 10th Wafcon crown
Eyebrows were raised when Justine Madugu was appointed as the new Nigeria coach in September last year, having had no head coach experience in international football before taking on the role. On Saturday the 'gamble' – if you call it that – paid off when the Super Falcons came from 2-0 down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat to win the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. The team had not impressed during the group stage, leading to criticism back home that the team were disjointed and uninspiring. Despite this, two wins over Tunisia and Botswana and a draw against Algeria saw Nigeria top their group without conceding a single goal. Madugu acknowledged that his team 'was a work in progress', but remained confident that his team was on course to achieve what Nigerians call 'Mission X' – to win their 10th Wafcon title. Saturday was a testimony to his unbending faith in his team and his coaching methods. 'I have always believed that we take each game as it comes and play according to the opponent,' the 61-year-old said. 'Where we make errors, we will make the needed corrections to get the result we want.' Nigeria are way out in front when it comes to Wafcon titles – Equatorial Guinea (twice) and South Africa are the only other sides to win it. Back in 2016, the women's team had won seven Afcon crowns, level with Egypt's men's team. A 1-0 win over Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses, in front of a hostile crowd at Yaoundé's Stade Omnisport, saw them edge ahead in the pantheon of African champions. 'That final against Cameroon, on their soil, was a very exciting moment for me, scoring that winning goal that led to the trophy,' says the former Nigeria captain, Desire Oparanozie, who worked as a TV co-commentator and match analyst at this year's tournament in Morocco. 'When you have to play against the home crowd [in a final] and you come out on top, at the end of it, it is always special. You are playing against the fans as well. 'There is no better way to describe how formidable the Super Falcons are. They have proven their worth over the years and they continue to shine,' Oparanozie adds. 'One thing that continues to motivate them is that they are hungry for success. They want to win, they have a strong mentality, and they want to keep on dominating African football. It's the driver for the performance put up each time they are in the final.' Maintaining Nigeria's perfect 10-out-of-10 record in Wafcon finals was an arduous task for Madugu as he was up against the former Spain coach, Jorge Vilda, who is now in charge of the Atlas Lionesses. When Morocco went 2-0 up inside 24 minutes through goals from their captain, Ghizlane Chebbak, and Sanaa Mssoudy, Madugu was wearing his emotions on his sleeve, screaming at Nigeria's players to hold on to the ball and create transitions that would put the hosts under pressure. It took the second-half introduction of PSG's Jennifer Echegini and Roma's Rinsola Babajide to give the Falcons the attacking verve to win the game. 'We knew we could do it [win the match],' Madugu told us. 'When we were two goals down, we kept encouraging the players not to lose their belief. If they didn't have mental resilience they would have given up. We did a lot of talking at half-time.' Esther Okoronkwo, arguably the outstanding player for Nigeria at the tournament, and voted the player of the final, said the Falcons had to dig deep into their courage reservoir, to pull themselves back from the brink. 'The first half goals were unfortunate,' she said. 'It happens in football. When we went to the dressing room, we gathered the fighting spirit, because it was all or nothing … the Moroccan team has chemistry, they were a tough team.' Saturday's dramatic final was a fitting end to a successful tournament on the field but as Desiree Ellis, coach of South Africa's Banyana-Banyana for 11 years, points out, there is still room for improvement when it comes to the organisation. 'I think there needs to be better spacing of games, so that teams can travel and players can recover in good time,' she said. 'The travel was a bit hard at this tournament and it is something that CAF needs to look at.' The good news is that the chance to make improvements will come quickly – the next Wafcon finals are being played next year, again in Morocco. If you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email This is an extract from our free weekly email, Moving the Goalposts. To get the full edition, visit this page and follow the instructions. Moving the Goalposts is delivered to your inboxes every Tuesday and Thursday.
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
How Nigeria completed ‘Mission X' and sealed 10th Wafcon crown
Eyebrows were raised when Justine Madugu was appointed as the new Nigeria coach in September last year, having had no head coach experience in international football before taking on the role. On Saturday the 'gamble' – if you call it that – paid off when the Super Falcons came from 2-0 down to beat hosts Morocco 3-2 in the final at the Olympic Stadium in Rabat to win the Women's Africa Cup of Nations. The team had not impressed during the group stage, leading to criticism back home that the team were disjointed and uninspiring. Despite this, two wins over Tunisia and Botswana and a draw against Algeria saw Nigeria top their group without conceding a single goal. Madugu acknowledged that his team 'was a work in progress', but remained confident that his team was on course to achieve what Nigerians call 'Mission X' – to win their 10th Wafcon title. Saturday was a testimony to his unbending faith in his team and his coaching methods. 'I have always believed that we take each game as it comes and play according to the opponent,' the 61-year-old said. 'Where we make errors, we will make the needed corrections to get the result we want.' Nigeria are way out in front when it comes to Wafcon titles – Equatorial Guinea (twice) and South Africa are the only other sides to win it. Back in 2016, the women's team had won seven Afcon crowns, level with Egypt's men's team. A 1-0 win over Cameroon's Indomitable Lionesses, in front of a hostile crowd at Yaoundé's Stade Omnisport, saw them edge ahead in the pantheon of African champions. 'That final against Cameroon, on their soil, was a very exciting moment for me, scoring that winning goal that led to the trophy,' says the former Nigeria captain, Desire Oparanozie, who worked as a TV co-commentator and match analyst at this year's tournament in Morocco. 'When you have to play against the home crowd [in a final] and you come out on top, at the end of it, it is always special. You are playing against the fans as well. 'There is no better way to describe how formidable the Super Falcons are. They have proven their worth over the years and they continue to shine,' Oparanozie adds. 'One thing that continues to motivate them is that they are hungry for success. They want to win, they have a strong mentality, and they want to keep on dominating African football. It's the driver for the performance put up each time they are in the final.' Maintaining Nigeria's perfect 10-out-of-10 record in Wafcon finals was an arduous task for Madugu as he was up against the former Spain coach, Jorge Vilda, who is now in charge of the Atlas Lionesses. When Morocco went 2-0 up inside 24 minutes through goals from their captain, Ghizlane Chebbak, and Sanaa Mssoudy, Madugu was wearing his emotions on his sleeve, screaming at Nigeria's players to hold on to the ball and create transitions that would put the hosts under pressure. It took the second-half introduction of PSG's Onyi Echeginiand Roma's Rinsola Babajide to give the Falcons the attacking verve to win the game. 'We knew we could do it [win the match],' Madugu told us. 'When we were two goals down, we kept encouraging the players not to lose their belief. If they didn't have mental resilience they would have given up. We did a lot of talking at half-time.' Esther Okoronkwo, arguably the outstanding player for Nigeria at the tournament, and voted the player of the final, said the Falcons had to dig deep into their courage reservoir, to pull themselves back from the brink. 'The first half goals were unfortunate,' she said. 'It happens in football. When we went to the dressing room, we gathered the fighting spirit, because it was all or nothing … the Moroccan team has chemistry, they were a tough team.' Saturday's dramatic final was a fitting end to a successful tournament on the field but as Desiree Ellis, coach of South Africa's Banyana-Banyana for 11 years, points out, there is still room for improvement when it comes to the organisation. 'I think there needs to be better spacing of games, so that teams can travel and players can recover in good time,' she said. 'The travel was a bit hard at this tournament and it is something that CAF needs to look at.' The good news is that the chance to make improvements will come quickly – the next Wafcon finals are being played next year, again in Morocco. I say it numerous times, she is an absolute nutter, but she loves her country, she loves playing for her country, putting on that shirt, and she was outstanding in this tournament, considering …' – Beth Mead on her teammate Lucy Bronze after the full-back revealed she had been playing the tournament with a fractured tibia. Stage is set: The draw for the 2026 Women's Asian Cup, staged in Australia next March, has been made this week. Twelve teams are divided into three groups of four each, with the hosts facing South Korea, Iran and the Philippines in Group A. India, runners-up in 1980 and 1983, have qualified for the first time since 2003; the Blue Tigresses face Japan, Vietnam and Taiwan in Group C. North Korea, China, Bangladesh and Uzbekistan have been drawn together in Group B. Penalty drama: Colombia reached the final of Copa América Femenina in the most dramatic way, beating Argentina 5-4 on penalties in the semi-final and securing their place at the 2028 Olympics in the process. Brazil face Uruguay in the second semi-final on Tuesday, with the final to be played on Saturday. Faye Carruthers is joined by Suzanne Wrack, Tom Garry and Sophie Downey to celebrate England's historic Euro 2025 triumph over Spain — and reflect on an unforgettable tournament in Switzerland. Listen here. The story of England's Euros triumph, as depicted by David Squires. Nigeria's Esther Okoronkwo, the player of the match in the Wafcon final, shows off her range of skills in training. 'They thought it was all over. Quite a few times, in fact.' Do read Jonathan Liew at the Euro 2025 final and the perfect unity of 'proper England'. Who was good and who was less good in the Euros final? Sophie Downey's player ratings have the answer. She's also dished out her tournament marks. Singing, dancing and a cavapoo called Reggie: Tom Garry explains how England celebrated their famous win. Aitana Bonmatí's sullen walk to collect the player of the tournament award showed there is no joy in personal accolades when your team loses but Spain will be back, writes Nick Ames. Chloe Kelly's early introduction helped change the game for Sarina Wiegman's side. Sophie Downey analyses the tactical shift. Things got a little weepy in Madrid after Spain lost but the growing interest in the women's national team is a victory in itself, as Sam Jones witnessed. England won on the pitch, but who were the victors in the TV studios? John Brewin kept his beady eye on the BBC and ITV coverage. Nick Ames had a natter with Uefa suit Nadine Kessler about the future of the Women's Euros. And the women's game is growing across Europe and the playing field is starting to level, according to Philipp Lahm.
