After being appointed coach of the CAR, Rigobert Song was unable to sign his contract because of a disagreement between the Ministry of Sports and the Central African Football Federation.
Cameroonian football legend Rigobert Song Bahannag returned to Cameroon after a brief stay in Bangui. During his stay in the Central African Republic, he was put at the head of the Fauves du Bas-Oubangui by Héritier Doneng, the minister in charge of sports in the CAR. The former coach of the Indomitable Lions was even presented to the press. But to date, the contract has still not been signed.
For good reason, the president of the Central African football federation Célestin Yanindji refuted this appointment arguing that: “the recruitment of a national coach for the Central African football team falls exclusively within the prerogatives of the executive committee of the federation”. As a result, he refused to sign the contract of a coach that he and his team did not choose.
Heir Doneng for his part does not seem unduly disturbed. Arguing that Rigobert Song is and will remain the coach of the Fauves:
“the Minister of Youth and Sports is responsible for appointing a national team coach and a national technical director for all disciplines. Since Monday evening, procrastination has been underway, but for us, that changes nothing, the State remains the State. The State guarantees everything, it is the State which owns the national team. The decision has already been made. Mr. Coach, I reiterate the confidence of the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Sports and all the Central African people. The contract will be signed. I place you at the disposal of the federation. She will be responsible for working with you. Our goal is to qualify for the CAN and the World Cup. »
Héritier Doneng, Minister of Sports in CAR
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Scheduled for January 15, the signing of the contract was postponed. Which does not seem to worry the former captain of the Indomitable Lions:
“Since you have received the approval of the first Central African athlete who is the head of state, do you still need to sign anything else? When we have missions we must first go to the front and then we will see. »
Rigobert Song via Deutsche Welle
A saga which sadly recalls that of François Omam Biyick, another legend of Cameroonian football. Appointed in 2017 by the Minister of Sports to head the RCA team, he was unable to coach the team because the president of the federation at the time, Patrice Edouard Ngaïssona, refused to sign the contract.
Guy Etom
