'Cameroonian war' is still on: Kofane rejects national team call-up because of Eto'o?!
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 12.11.25. | 13:06
Instead of making a debut for the Indomitable Lions, the striker will stay in Germany, as his agent is close to the FECAFOOT president, who is still at war with the Cameroon boss Marc Brys
The final stage of the African 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers is upon us, as four teams - Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, and DR Congo - will lock horns, fighting for only one spot in the inter-confederation play-offs.
And while all the remaining teams try to gather the strongest possible squad, the Indomitable Lions won't be able to do that, as Bayer Leverkusen striker and the man who recorded four goals and as many assists in 15 games this season, Christian Kofane, decided to turn down Marc Brys' call-up!
🔴⚫️ Despite Bayer Leverkusen’s announcement, Christian Kofane won’t join the Cameroon national team this international break.
— SleeperFootballNews (@SleeperFootNews) November 11, 2025
The 19-year-old striker’s agent confirmed he won’t travel amid the ongoing power struggle between federation president Samuel Eto’o and coach Marc Brys. pic.twitter.com/UoObFAkvV2
To make matters worse, the 19-year-old was about to debut for the national team and his club had proudly announced the news, but the player rejected that opportunity because he wanted to focus solely on his club, his agent Eric Depolo confirmed to Kicker.
However, the background of the story is even more intriguing, as the Kofane's representative is allegedly close to the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto'o. Moreover, the German media outlet claims the two watched the Champions League clash between Leverkusen and Paris Saint-Germain together at BayArena.
Hence, Eto'o used Kofane as a weapon in his war against the Indomitable Lions boss Brys, with whom he had numerous disputes, to say the least.
Kicker also claims that the Belgian strategist submitted his squad in written form only, before travelling straight to Morocco instead of being present at the announcement in Cameroon.
This power struggle hasn't affected the national team's results, but it's only a matter of time before it begins to take its toll. Therefore, it would be no surprise at all if the five-time champions of Africa missed the upcoming World Cup.
The African play-off semi-final clashes are scheduled for tomorrow, when Nigeria face Gabon (19.00) and Cameroon play DR Congo (22.00). The winners will meet in the final on November 16, and only the champs of this "mini-tournament" will keep their WC dream alive.
2026 FIFA WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS - AFRICA
Play-off semi-finals
Thursday
19.00: (1.90) Nigeria (3.10) Gabon (4.80)
22.00: (2.35) Cameroon (2.75) DR Congo (3.65)
***odds are subject to change***
