Crown of Thorns Awaits Coach Hugo Broos’ Successor

The Cameroon football federation is set to dismiss the Coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon, Hugo Broos, due to a string of poor results as well as his inability to qualify the 5-time African champions for the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.

Meeting on Monday 4 December, 2017, the Normalisation Committee of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) decided not to renew the Belgian’s contract when it ends in February 2018. Therefore a man who was hailed earlier this year for helping Cameroon win her 5th AFCON title has suddenly become a persona non grata. 

However, the 65-year-old’s inglorious goodbye is not at all an end in itself for Cameroon, but the beginning of an end. The questions begging for answers are: who is next? How far can his ship navigate the rough seas?

Before his imminent dismissal, Hugo Broos has managed 25 games as Coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. He won eight matches, drew ten and lost seven. Mathematically, the Belgian who was coaching a national side for the first time failed, though he led Les Lions to an Africa Cup of Nations victory for the first time in 17 years. 

But, since beating continental giants Egypt 2-1 in February to clinch Africa’s supreme silverware, Mr Broos has won just 3 out of 11 matches played. Here now are the challenges awaiting Hugo Broos’ successor.

Getting a reliable goal poacher is premier task. Finding a productive striker was Broos’ nightmare since taking over from Volker Finke. Cameroon scored just 10 goals in 11 previous matches, picking the ball from the back of the net 20 times. 

Cameroon’s 4-0 loss to Colombia during a friendly in June 2017, and a similar humiliation by Nigeria at a 2018 World Cup qualifier in September remain Broos’ heaviest defeats.

The Belgian failed to establish a productive relationship between the elements of his attacking ‘trigonometry’, that is, a fluid connection in the front trio.

Even after going beyond his traditional attacking compass to bring in Nsame Jean Pierre and Moumi Ngamaleu (from FC Young Boys) and Fabrice Olinga (from Royal Mouscron), the scoring equation remained difficult to solve. 

Apart from virtual standard goalkeeping and defending, Mr Broos could not boast of a unique style of play throughout. The technical sacking also caught Mr Broos in the wilderness, searching for the phenomenal player who could change water into wine.

Ironically, cordiality with some players worsened as Broos’ coaching mandate spiraled. A tense relationship was discerned as players boycotted matches from time to time, for instance Marvin Matip, goalkeepers Idris Carlos Kameni, Andre Onana, Allan Nyom, Karl Toko Ekambi and the controversial Choupu Moting.

Mr Broos was also partly blamed for the unexpected resignations of Joel Matip and Nicolas Nkoulu from international duty.

Apart from mending the broken relationships, Hugo Broos’ successor has the obligation to build a solid team worthy of defending the Africa Cup of Nations title on home soil in 2019.