Marc Brys : the new “Brand” for the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon !

Everyone has seen it: the Indomitable Lions have a much better way of playing football. And there’s a name for that change: Marc Brys. Between his arrival in Cameroon in April and the two matches against Cabo Verde (victory on 8 June 4-1) and Angola (draw on 11 June 1-1), the 62-year-old Belgian has gone from “coach with a blank CV” to “fine tactician”, according to the comments of many fans of Vincent Aboubakar’s team.

Ambition and character

“Marc Brys arrives on the Lions bench in a very difficult context marked by the conflict between the Ministry of Sport and Fécafoot. Fortunately, he has not been affected by the situation, whereas another coach would have thrown in the towel on the spot. This shows that he has ambition and character. These are the first qualities that a good coach should have,” explains Michel Tadoun, a former professional footballer from Cameroon.

The only master on board

On the face of it, Marc Brys has hidden his game well. While his clash with Fécafoot president Samuel Eto’o has given him an image of a “bad boy”, he had already announced his intentions: “I’m the coach, I decide”. More than a retort to the former Barça striker, the coach was sending a message to his players. And the demonstration of his charisma and natural authority began in training. Brys attends every training session in complete concentration. He is on the pitch, moving around, going up and down, and has a panoramic view of the group.

He talks a lot with his players and doesn’t hesitate to interrupt the exercise if a gesture, a pass or a movement is badly executed. The lesson is repeated as many times. That is, until the players learn it.

“Brys has managed to capture the attention of all the players, most of whom have reinvented themselves in the space of two games. They give the impression that they have already learned a lot from him,” adds Michel Tadoun.

Style of play

One of the reasons why new hopes have been born with the advent of Brys on the Cameroon bench is his style. The man has built his philosophy on complementarity and the notion of “enjoying playing together”. The Indomitable Lions are no longer a collection of individuals, but a single unit that defends, builds and attacks as a group. The strong man has restored balance to Cameroon. He has managed to get nine players to take on the roles of eleven. Aboubakar can now move easily between attack, flank and midfield, Zambo from midfield to a false number 9 role, while Tolo and Faï, the full-backs, become pivots.

In their two recent games, his charges have put in a string of efforts. They are all attacking and defensive, with the exception of goalkeeper André Onana and defender Wooh. This meant that there were free players between the lines. That’s the Brys style, as he likes his team to take the ball away from their opponents and reposition themselves once they’ve lost the ball. He also likes the game to be fast, built on short passes, with a certain Carlos Baleba at the helm, who showed some fine things.

We enjoyed watching this team, which showed cohesion, determination and a great state of mind.

“I’ve been in this job for 27 or 28 years and I’ve never seen such a solid group,” said Marc Brys. What if he was the “white sorcerer” that Cameroon has been waiting for since the departure of his compatriot Hugo Broos, winner of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations with the Indomitable Lions.