ذهاب نهائي الكونفيدرالية : المريخ يتواضع ويخسر برباعية من الصفاقسي التونسي

Confusion over Pfister appointment
Martin Etonge
BBC Sport, Yaounde
Last Updated: Sunday, 4 November 2007, 18:12 GMT
Otto Pfister
Otto Pfister led Togo to the 2006 World Cup in Germany

Confusion surrounds the appointment of Otto Pfister as Cameroon coach after the country's FA refused to recognise him.

The German was last week named as the coach of the Indomitable Lions by Sports Minister Augustin Edjoa.

The 70-year-old was scheduled to sign the deal on Monday but the Cameroon Football Federation, Fecafoot, pulled the plug on the deal saying it was not consulted.

Fecafoot says the appointment was done behind its back, as the minister ignored the shortlist of five names it had proposed.

A joint selection committee was set up by the Ministry of Sports and Fecafoot in August to find a coach to replace Dutchman Arie Haan.

The committee proposed Horst Koppel, Artur Jorge, Jean Thissen, Philippe Troussier and Steves Manfred but the list was ignored by Edjoa

A solution has been found, as Fecafoot will sign an agreement stating that Fecafoot is his sole technical boss, not the ministry of sports.

Pfister's work contract will then be signed by the minister alone on Wednesday.

However, this may result in Pfister failing to gain recognition from Fifa or Caf.

He will not be able to go to the world and continental governing bodies should he have and complaints against Cameroon.

Pfister was only tenth on Fecafoot's list, and Minister Edjoa has come under heavy criticism from the Cameroon media for not respecting the set out procedure.

Some newspapers are outrightly encouraging Fecafoot never to recognise Otto Pfister as coach.

Pfister is currently in charge of Sudanese club El Merreikh.

The two-time Saudi Arabia coach has worked in African football for 25 years, with spells in Zaire, Tunisia, Ghana and Egypt.