Another African legend bites the dust. Rigobert Song may has survived Cameroon’s poor showing in the 2022 World Cup, but there was no hiding after a disastrous AFCON campaign this year.Speaking to a French TV station, the president of the Cameroonian Football Federation, Samuel Eto’o, announced that Song, the coach of the Indomitable Lions, will no longer lead the national team. The legendary Cameroon captain is paying the price for his team’s poor performance at the Africa Cup of Nations.The rumour had been circulating since Cameroon, a five-time African champion, was eliminated early from the hands of Nigeria in the round of 16 of the 2024 AFCON. Rigobert Song will leave the helm of the Indomitable Lions. The Fecafoot president confirmed this in an exclusive interview with France 24.”He has contributed a lot to this team, but the laws of football are what they are. We did not meet our objectives, and our executive committee and I do not see ourselves renewing the contract. I had the opportunity to discuss it with him. I stated our positions, and now we must think about the future while wishing him every success in his future career.”🇨🇲 Rigobert Song is officially no longer the head coach of the Cameroon national team.The Indomitable Lions crashed out in the round of 16 of the 2023 AFCON. pic.twitter.com/pe8s1uYGXS— Owuraku Ampofo (@_owurakuampofo) February 28, 2024 The coaching mandate, which officially expired today (28 February 2024), will not be renewed. The legendary former striker still praised the work done by his former teammate.”Allow me to pay tribute to Rigobert Song, who was my captain in the national team.”The two men played together between 1997 and 2010 for the Cameroonian national team and were part of the country’s golden generation, which won two of their five AFCON titles. However, the management of a football federation rarely allows room for sentiment. Song’s record at the helm of Cameroon was deemed insufficient: in 23 matches, he suffered defeat nine times and recorded only six victories (with eight draws). ##NAJAVA_MECA_7910209##At the 2022 World Cup, the Indomitable Lions failed to advance from the group stage despite a prestigious victory against Brazil. At the 2024 AFCON, they stumbled in the round of 16 – against the eventual Nigerian finalists, granted – but at the cost of alarming performances in every match played. In the meantime, his team struggled to qualify for the continental competition, securing their place on the final matchday. Under these circumstances, it is difficult to claim to remain at the helm of the Indomitable Lions, even when one is a living legend with the record for most caps (137 matches).The AFCON in Ivory Coast has certainly been fatal for many coaches. At least nine have left their positions.Fecafoot did not wait for Song’s contract to expire before beginning to explore and contact coaches such as the Belgian Tom Saintfiet, who preferred to commit to the Philippines.
