In Yaounde

Local football fans in Cameroon have been voicing their disappointment and calling for the dismissal of the technical staff following the national team’s elimination from the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Cote d’Ivoire on Saturday night.

Despite miraculously advancing to the knockout stage, coach Rigobert Song’s charges failed to qualify for the quarter-final, succumbing to a 0-2 defeat to soccer arch-rivals, Nigeria in the last 16 at the historic Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium where they won their continental title 40 years ago.

Africa’s best player of the year, Victor Osimhen, took advantage of a defensive error to set up Ademola Lookman who fired pass Fabrice Ondoa, giving the Super Eagles the lead at the 36th minute after VAR had disallowed an earlier goal for an offside.

An unimpressive Indomitable Lions were unable to contain the pressure from a determined Super Eagles, conceding again with Lookman curling in Calvin Bassey's cutback as Ondoa again dived to the left but failed to stop the ball from finding the net at the 90th minute, to the disappointment of victory-hungry home fans.

“Oh no! This is so disappointing to say the least,” a fan, Innocent Ndukong exclaimed as the central referee sounded his final whistle.

With less than 15 minutes to regular playing time, Song brought in captain Aboubakar Vincent for his first appearance after a muscle injury sustained on the eve of the opening of the tournament, but the 2021 Afcon top scorer did not create any positive impact.

Another fan, Eugene Nformi Tawe said defeat of the Indomitable Lions was the result of an unco-ordinated play style and lack of tact which the five times African champions have exhibited since the beginning of the tournament.

"The Indomitable Lions were so uninspiring in the game against Nigeria. The Super Eagles could still play without a goalkeeper and win Cameroon who had zero shots on target," Tawe said.

Commenting on national television, former Indomitable Lions midfielder Alexandre Song described the round 16 clash against Nigeria as one of the worst games the Cameroon national team has played in contemporary history.

 "This is the worst game I have seen Cameroon play in a very long time. We need to change certain things," Alex Song, a nephew to coach Rigobert Song said.

Unlike after the Indomitable Lions 3-2 victory over Gambia on Tuesday when fans went into crazy celebrations on the streets and major leisure spots within Yaounde, such places looked disserted Saturday night.

Cameroon’s defeat by Nigeria and Afcon Round 16 elimination has reignited the debate over Song’s ability and credentials to lead the five times African champions with Indomitable Lions fans again questioning how he was appointed.

Cameroon finished third at the previous Afcon on home soil under António Conceição but the Portuguese tactician was immediately sacked and Song appointed “on high instructions from the president of the Republic” to replace him in February 2022.

Now fans want the 47-year-old former emblematic captain of the Indomitable Lions and two-time Afcon winner sacked for incompetence.

“I hope he [Rigobert Song] will just be sacked immediately he comes come back from Cote d’Ivoire. He is not qualified and has no international experience in being coach of Cameroon,” Ndukong said.

Song has recorded just six victories in 23 matches played since taking over team – including one against Brazil at the Fifa 2022 World cup in Qatar. His record also includes eight draws and nine defeats.

His predecessor had played 24 matches recording 14 victories with six draws and just three defeats.

On social media, fans have also been expressing their displeasure following the Indomitable Lions elimination and calling for the sacking of the coach with the “Song Must Go” campaign.

“Even carpenters will do better than this current Cameroon coaching squad,” Njie Enow Ebai, a former sports editor at state broadcaster, the Cameroon Radio Television (CRTV), twitted as he joined the campaign for the sacking of the technical staff. 

“Song, Migne, Simo, Parade and co have to go,” Ebai wrote further, referring to the Lions’ technical squad.
“Song has miraculously survived previously, but can't always count on luck. It's no longer funny. Song Must Go,” another fan of the Indomitable Lions, Landry Edjo'o, wrote on Facebook.

“Rebuilding the team can only be done with concrete actions, not just empty words like flowing water. Song must go,” Roger Zang Effa also wrote on his official Facebook page.

But Song is not budged though. 

He told the media after the match that he is on a contract [which has not expired yet] and will now have “to take a break, sit back and make a balance sheet before taking any decision”. 

The question now is if his former teammate, now President of the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT), Samuel Eto’o Fils, will keep him at the helm of the team for the length of time he needs to do the stock taking and make any decisions.