Engelbert Mbarga as new national technical director at FECAFOOT.

A short tweet on the official account of Cameroon regulatory football body said, “Engelbert Mbarga new National Technical Director. Welcome home.”

Speaking after his appointment the new NTD said, “I am happy but I know I have a huge responsibility to play. We know that football is part and parcel of the Cameroonian people. So, this is a challenge and like in every football game, this is a challenge we are ready to accept. We will do our best to be up to the task.” 

It should be recalled that Engelbert Mbarga has occupied the role of NTD on interim basis for the last three months now. 

The former Cameroon international and football manager is the third to occupy the position. 

Mbarga replaces Serge Noah at the helm of the structure.

The latter who was appointed NTD on March 27 2019 was sacked by FECAFOOT on December 29, 2022 under unclear circumstances. 

The contract of the former Canon Sportif player and two-time winner of the Cup of Cameroon was due to end in March this year. 

Serge Noah had replaced Jean Manga Onguene who had occupied the position since its creation in 2010. 

After spending close to half a decade in charge, he now hands over to his deputy Engelbert Mbarga. 

The new NTD is coming in with a wealth of experience. 

He will have the huge responsibility of overseeing the development, performance and competitiveness of Cameroon football from the grassroots to elite levels. 

Many have opined that under his stewardship, football in Cameroon is set to witness a new lease to life. 

While ensuring the implementing and supervising players, the NTD shall also provide leadership, guidance and mentorship to all coaches in the country. 

The 60-year-old football administrator considered by many pundits as a square peg in a square hole, comes at a time when Cameroon football is in dire need positive results. 

These after the some of the country’s national selections have suffered a run of poor results recently.

Experts have also said that the appointment of Engelbert Mbarga as NTD by President Samuel Eto’o confirms his determination to guide Cameroon football to unprecedented success.    

Before his appointment, Engelbert Mbarga was the assistant NTD. He has also previously been in charge of the of the U-17 and U-20 football teams of Cameroon. 

His footballing career was brutally ended after a knee in 1985. He later joined the technical staff of Canon Yaoundé in 1986, at the age of 24 as assistant to Jean Paul Akono and then Jean Manga Onguene.

During that period, he began a career as a youth trainer at the Cameroon Brasseries Football School in 1989 alongside Jean Pierre Sadi and Dominique Wansi. 

In 1996, Engelbert Mbarga joined the staff of the national selections until 2014. He was part of the technical staff who won a gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Mbarga is also a CAF instructor and FIFA instructor. He was also Head of the Football Training Division at the National Football Academy from 2017 to January 2022. Since October 2022, he has been deputy DTN.