Three match days into the MTN Elite One Championship, Cameroons premier football competition has once again shifted attention away from goals and tactics to the familiar theatre of administrative confusion.
In Limbe, during Cotonsport of Garouas encounter with Victoria United, the technical areas told a story that bordered on the surreal. David Pagou, head coach of Cotonsport and the Indomitable Lions, sat quietly in the stands, observing a match involving his own club side. Down on the touchline, visibly animated and issuing instructions, was Valentine Nkwain, president of Victoria United a man who is neither a certified coach nor officially listed as one.
The contrast was stark and unsettling: a national team coach reduced to a spectator, while a club president assumed technical authority from the bench.
A Scene That Raises More Questions Than Answers
For many observers, this was not merely an odd matchday occurrence but a powerful symbol of the contradictions that have long plagued Cameroon football.
Braze Sports Cameras caught Images of David Pagou watching the game against Victoria United in the stands
Pagou, whose reputation soared following a commendable Africa Cup of Nations campaign with the national team, has not occupied the technical bench for Cotonsport since the start of the season. Instead, he has watched from the stands, briefly joining his players at halftime before returning to his seat among the spectators.
Various explanations have emerged. Some suggest administrative issues, alleging that Pagous coaching licence has not been properly validated or presented. Yet during Cotonsports clash with Victoria United, his name appeared on the official match sheet, a detail that ordinarily signifies eligibility and technical responsibility.
If his name is valid enough for official documentation, critics ask, why is he not valid enough for the bench?
Power Versus Qualification
While Pagou remained sidelined, the situation on the opposite bench added another layer of discomfort. Valentine Nkwain, president of Victoria United who has in the past publicly stated that there are no coaches in Cameroon was seen actively directing play, issuing instructions, and effectively coaching his team.
Officially, Victoria United have a head coach, David Nganbe, yet authority on the touchline appeared to rest elsewhere.
The image was damning: qualification without access, and authority without certification.
For Cameroons coaching community, this moment cut deep.
An Insult to the Coaching Corps
Leaving the national team head coach seated in the stands while a club president occupies the technical bench to coach is more than a contradiction it is a direct insult to Cameroons coaching corps.
It sends a troubling message to licensed coaches who have invested time, resources, and effort into their education and certification that professionalism can be overridden by power and influence. In such an environment, merit becomes secondary, and the pathway for aspiring coaches grows increasingly uncertain.
Football thrives on structure, clarity, and respect for roles. When presidents coach and coaches spectate, the profession itself is weakened, and the technical bench becomes a symbol of privilege rather than expertise.
The Bigger Question
Beyond the individuals involved, the PagouNkwain contrast exposes a deeper institutional failure: selective enforcement of rules.
Why is one man restricted by regulations while another appears untouched by them? Why has there been no official clarification, sanction, or public explanation from league organisers or FECAFOOT three match days into the season?
Silence, in this case, only deepens suspicion.
A Mirror Held Up to the System
Cameroon football continues to produce talent, passion, and moments of pride. Yet it remains haunted by inconsistencies that undermine credibility and progress.
As long as rules are unclear, unevenly applied, or enforced based on influence rather than principle, such scenes will continue to define the league more than the football itself.
In the MTN Elite One, the ball still rolls and results still count. But on the sidelines, the story being told is far louder one of contradiction, confusion, and a system struggling to respect its own professionals.
And until that changes, the question will remain unavoidable:who really coaches in Cameroon football?
