Walter Wilson Nana, AfricaNews reporter in Buea, Cameroon
Denis Lavagne, until Wednesday, October 26 was the head coach of the Garoua-based club, Cotonsport. Now, he is the new coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. The French-born football trainer has been appointed by the Ministry of Sports & Physical Education, following recommendation from Cameroon's football technical body, FECAFOOT.
Lavagne, who takes over from Spanish-born football coach, Javier Clemente, will be assisted by Martin Ndtoungou Mpile, erstwhile coach of the Junior Lions Squad and Pierre Mbarga, who will take charge of the keepers. Clemente’s two assistants; François Omam Biyick and Jacques Songo’o were also shown the exit door in the ministerial decision firing Clemente from his job.
Though Clemente has been asked to leave his job by Cameroonian football authorities, he still had some few months to go in his contract.
Across the Cameroonian sporting public and commentaries from media houses in the country, Clemente’s dismissal was a foregone conclusion, as he failed to qualify Cameroon for the 2012 AFCON to be hosted next door to Cameroon by Equatorial Guinea and Gabon.
Clemente is also faulted by his employers for not respecting some of the clauses of his contract, especially that which required him to stay in Cameroon for two weeks every month, to look out on the home-based players before jetting out to monitor the professional players in Europe, USA and Asia.
Lavagne came to Cameroon in 2007 and was recruited as General Manager and Coach of Cotonsport of Garoua. Before the Garoua experience, Lavagne has had coaching stints in Bastia and Nimes all in France.
As part of his first assignment in the Lions’ den, Lavagne is expected to lead the team in the LG International Friendly Tournament due for Marrakech, Morocco in November 2011.
Denis Lavagne, until Wednesday, October 26 was the head coach of the Garoua-based club, Cotonsport. Now, he is the new coach of the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon. The French-born football trainer has been appointed by the Ministry of Sports & Physical Education, following recommendation from Cameroon's football technical body, FECAFOOT.
