Rigobert Song Bahanag the indomitable lions head coach has been terminated from his job as manager of the Cameroon national football team. His eviction was predictable following his unsatisfactory result in the 34th edition of the African Cup of Nations 2023 tournament that just ended in Ivory Coast. The five times African champions where shamefully booted out of the competition in the 8th finals triggering an outcry among football lovers in the country and beyond demanding the coaches head.
The country’s authorities then decided that his contract that was ending this February 28th 2024 will not be renewed. Talking to the French TV station France 24, the president of the Cameroon football federation Samuel Eto paid homage to the one time team mate, longest serving and charismatic national team captain for his work done with the selection during his time as coach “he has brought a lot in the team but since the rules of football are what they are, we did not meet our objectives so the executive comity and myself could not renew his contract. We however wish him much success in his future career”
Appointed head coach and manager of the national selection by the president of the Cameroon football federation on the 28th of February 2022, the 47 year old did not have any impressive coaching background in his previous assignments with the Olympic lions or the junior national selections. Which obviously prompted observers to doubt his capacity of taking the prestigious indomitable lions selection to a better result than his predecessor Toni Conceição.
Nevertheless, Rigobert Song succeeded against all odds to qualify the indomitable lions to the Qatar 2022 world cup by beating Algeria at home in the memorable Blida match. More indelible, he won the Brazilian selection 1 goal to zero in that world cup. Though disqualified from the competition in the group stage with the result of one win, one draw and one defeat, Song did not have a bad result in the completion considering that he is the first Cameroon national coach to have taken the national team to the world cup in 8 participations.
He quits the national selection’s bench after 2 years with an unsatisfactory result of 6 victories, 9 defeats and 8 draws after 23 matches. Henceforth, coaches of the national selections in Cameroon will be chosen by the ministry of sport and physical education from the proposition of the FA.