Samuel Eto’o has become embroiled in a diplomatic row with Cameroon’s Sports Minister over the future of head coach, Antonio Conceicao, as the fallout from the country’s third-place finish Africa Cup of Nations continues.
Eto’o told Narcisse Mouelle Kombi any decision concerning a managerial change ultimately rested with Cameroon’s Football Association, of which he is the president.
Earlier this week, Kombi had told Cameroonian broadcaster CRTV that Conceicao would be in charge for the upcoming international fixtures next month.
He said: “Every time we have won a trophy, it has been with a foreign coach.
“What is more important now is the World Cup playoffs in March.
“The priority is not to destabilise the team by decapitating it.
“We are in a phase of rebuilding.
“When we look at the record under the Conceicao era, we have two defeats out of 23 matches, and 14 matches without conceding a goal.”
Eto’o, however, swiftly reminded Cameroon’s Spots Minister that deciding the future of the national team’s manager was not part of his remit.
In a letter addressed to Kombi, the former Barcelona, Chelsea and Inter Milan striker pointed out a presidential decree from 2014 stated that the “FECAFOOT is in charge of the administrative, sporting and technical management of Cameroon’s national teams”.
He added that choosing to continue with Conceicao or appointing a new manager remained a prerogative of the Cameroonian FA and not something the Sports Minister could decide upon.
