Marc Brys’s dismissal was anticipated given his turbulent relationship with Samuel Eto’o, the FECAFOOT president. This decisive move followed Cameroon’s failure to reach the 2026 World Cup. Despite holding an African record of eight tournament appearances, Cameroon lost the automatic qualification spot to underdogs Cape Verde. Subsequently, their final hope as a best runner-up vanished after a narrow 1-0 defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in Morocco.
Following his recent re-election, Eto’o immediately replaced Brys with local coach David Pagou. Significant squad changes accompanied this managerial shift for the upcoming premier African competition.
Surprisingly, goalkeeper Onana, currently on loan at Trabzonspor from United, was excluded from the twenty-eight-man roster. While veteran Vincent Aboubakar, the top scorer at the 2022 AFCON, was notably omitted, the squad features Premier League talents like Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba and United striker Bryan Mbeumo, signaling a bold new direction for the national team’s future.