Brys Receives €60,000 Salary and AFCON Bonus Despite Dismissal, While Bago Remains Unpaid and Contract-less!

In a significant development within Cameroonian football ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, informed sources have revealed legal and financial issues surrounding the status of former national team head coach, Belgian Marc Brys, and his interim replacement, David Pagou. This situation underscores the depth of the administrative crisis within the country's football system.

Despite Brys's removal from the dugout before the tournament, legal documents and relationships indicate that his contract was never officially terminated by the Cameroonian state. Consequently, Brys has continued to receive his monthly salary regularly and also received a bonus exceeding 30,000 euros, linked to the national team's performance in the Africa Cup of Nations after their qualification for the quarter-finals.

Reports have varied regarding Brys's monthly salary, which also includes the salaries of his assistant and technical analyst, ranging between approximately 44,000 euros and 60,000 euros per month. However, the source confirmed that financial payments have not ceased due to the absence of a legal basis to suspend the contract.

In repeated statements, Brys himself affirmed that he had not received any official notification of his contract termination and still considers himself the national team coach.

In stark contrast, the legal status of Cameroonian David Pagou, who effectively coached the national team during the tournament, remains ambiguous. No official contract has been signed with the state for him or his technical team. As a result, neither Pagou nor any of his staff have received any salaries or bonuses to date.

Reports indicate that the Cameroonian Ministry of Sports is responsible for signing contracts with the national team coach, and it has not yet terminated Brys's contract. This means his salary must be paid, as he is legally considered the coach, while the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), led by Samuel Eto'o, was the entity that appointed Pagou before the AFCON.

The issue highlights a divergence in the interpretation of responsibilities between the Ministry of Sports and FECAFOOT. The Ministry insists that the Federation should bear the compensation costs for the technical staff it appointed, while the Federation denies this, asserting that the technical staff works for the national team and not another entity.