One of the candidates for the job of the coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Toni Conceição turned down the chance to be the new coach of the senior national team of Cameroon, OwnGoalNigeria.comcan exclusively reveal.
Conceição coached the indomitable lions of Cameroon for two years, but he left in a cloud after a disagreement with Samuel Eto’o who was then elected as the new FA president of the country’s football association, and decided to bring an indigenous coach in Rigobert Song, who left his role after the AFCON.
The country’s sports minister Narcisse Mouelle Kombi held talks with Conceição on returning to his post as coach, but he turned it down citing his desire to coach Nigeria as a factor plus a case with FIFA where he is seeking compensation for the manner which he was axed as coach of Cameroon.
” He (Conceição ) held talks with the minister for sports as many as six times. However there are so many reasons why he isn’t interested in going back as coach of Cameroon. Top of it is his desire to be the coach of the Super Eagles and secondly not to Jeopardize his case with FIFA on his claims of breach of contract when he was unjustly sacked two years ago”, a source told OwnGoalNigeria.com.
Kombi went ahead to appoint Marc Brys as the coach, an appointment which has been largely contested by the FA saying he doesn’t have the right to appoint a coach for the senior national team. Terming it as interference by government which could lead to a ban by FIFA.
“The Cameroonian football federation learned, at the same time as all Cameroonians, the appointment to positions of responsibility within the national men’s senior football team,” read a statement on Facebook.
The federation, known as Fecafoot, expressed its “great surprise” at the move which it said goes against a presidential decree relating to the organisation of Cameroon’s national football teams.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
