Cameroon at World Cup, but without Indomitable Lions!.

They were eliminated by the less fancied Democratic Republic of Congo squad, losing 1-0 in the sem-final of the African playoffs in Rabat, Morocco. 

Africa’s most experienced World Cup nation, with eight appearances, and the first African team to reach the quarterfinals in the glorious 1990 tournament, will thus be conspicuously absent at the global event.

Being left out in the expanded 48-team tournament is undoubtedly a devastating kick for the country's historic World Cup record, as the team will miss its second global tournament in the last three cycles. The disappointment was deep among Cameroonians who had hoped to see the team regain its past prestigious days.

Why are the Lions not featuring among 48 teams, even when at the time the scope was 24, their presence was remarkable?

The unexpected exit of the team at the group stage in which underdogs, Cape Verde, had 23 points against 19 for Cameroon before the waterloo at the playoff stage, triggered a vicious blame game.

The head coach, Marc Brys, whose employment in the first place pitted the supervisory Ministry of Sports and Physical Education against the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT, was unceremoniously fired by the country’s FA President, Samuel Eto’o Fils; even when his contract had not expired.

Individual players were blamed. Eto’o Fils and his FECAFOOT were indicted for the elimination, just as was the Ministry of Sports and Physical Education, the coaching staff.

In the gloomy cloud, the silver lining is that eight players of Cameroonian descent will be playing for various national teams, during the tournament as reported recently by The Guardian Post Sports.

Switzerland will notably count on two players with Cameroonian roots. Striker, Breel Embolo, a key attacking player for the Swiss national team for several years, will be one of his team's main assets. Alongside him, Goalkeeper Yvon Mvogo, will bring his experience and solidity to the Swiss goal.

Three players from Cameroonian families are also expected to participate for France, with the Captain of Les Bleus and global superstar, Kylian Mbappe, one of the leading figures in international football.

Another compatriot, Aurelien Tchouaméni, has been a pillar of the French midfield, while central defender, William Saliba, is considered by international media as “one of the best in his position”.

Belgium will be able to count on the power and physical presence of another Cameroonian, Amadou Onana, in midfield.

Sweden will be driven by the attacking qualities of Anthony Elanga, while Ivory Coast will benefit from the defensive solidity of Evan Ndicka.

If they played for Cameroon, would the country not have qualified in flying colours for the 2026 World Cup? Why were they not selected to play for the Indomitable Lions?           

But what the critics didn’t see was the wider impact of corruption and government’s inability to cuddle, reward and scout for its talents.

There have been allegations that some of the players were not selected into the national team because they were asked to bribe their way, which they refused.

Some were allegedly left out because of personality conflicts with the current FECAFOOT leadership.

Apart from corruption, tribalism and even egos that have been associated with leaving out some talented compatriots for foreign countries to utilise, there is also the lack of incentives in the country.

The Guardian Post acknowledges that Cameroon and many African countries, especially South of the Sahara, have not developed the game and infrastructure to the point of rewarding soccer stars as in Europe and some of the Asian countries.

But that should not be the reason European countries should exploit the situation to look as winning the World Cup would be a miracle for an African country.

Admittedly in many African countries, reeling public services and low institutional trust have already damaged their legitimacy. 

In such circumstances, football becomes one of the few remaining ways for governments to demonstrate competence and secure public support. 

At The Guardian Post, we stand firm that FIFA should not allow the so-called “developed countries” to take advantage of the bad governance in Africa.

One of the world’s reputed football coaches, Jose Mourinho, in a social media post, has urged FIFA to stop African players from representing other countries other than that of their origin.

“I want the world to see that Africa is equal with everyone, Africans are not behind with talents. They have the talents to win any tournament, except that most of their best players are scattered around the world; playing for other countries, instead of their homelands. I know I won't be popular for making this statement, but FIFA should make things fair by refusing to let players represent other countries, this will make FIFA tournaments even more competitive not one-sided,” he posted. 

His recommendation is worth implementing, but before then, Cameroon soccer fans can console themselves with their compatriots whose presence will testify to the tantalising skills of Cameroonian footballers at the world stage, even if for the glory of other countries.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3805 of Tuesday June 02, 2026