Five-time AFCON champions Cameroon have hired experienced Belgian manager Marc Brys as their new head coach of the senior National team, the Indomitable Lions, in a bold move to revitalize their national soccer team, ushering in a significant shakeup of the coaching staff.
He replaces Rigobert Song who was relieved of duty after the team’s poor performance at AFCON 2023 in Cote d’Ivoire.
Team legend François Omam-Biyik has been maintained as the first assistant coach, with Ashu Bessong as second assistant.
The 61-year-old Brys brings a wealth of managerial experience to the role after stints with clubs across Europe and Asia during his well-traveled career.
His coaching journey began at Londerzeel in Belgium before finding success at Berchem Sport, where he won the Belgian Third Division title, and Germinal Beerschot, lifting the Belgian Cup.
Other stops included KV Mechelen, OH Leuven, Excelsior Mouscron, KMSK Deinze, KFCO Beerschot and Sint-Truiden in Belgium, as well as jobs in the Netherlands with FC Eindhoven and FC Den Bosch. Brys also has managed teams in Saudi Arabia such as Al Raed, Al-Faisaly and Najran SC.
His recent tenure at OH Leuven in Belgium’s top division underscores his managerial capability, making him a strategic choice by Cameroon’s sports ministry to bolster the national team’s performance on the global stage after a dismal showing at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations led to Rigobert Song’s firing.
While Brys takes over as head coach, Cameroon has opted for a mix of continuity and fresh perspectives in the coaching staff restructure.
François Omam-Biyik remains as the first assistant coach, with Ashu Bessong as second assistant. Danny Nounkeu is the team manager, Christophe Manouvrier the physical trainer, Alioum Boukar overseeing the goalkeepers, and Germain Noël Essengue handling press relations.
Brys and his new staff face an immediate test, with crucial 2026 World Cup qualifiers coming up against Angola and Cape Verde in June. All eyes will be on the veteran manager to quickly implement his tactics and philosophies as Cameroon looks to return to their status as a continental powerhouse.
