Yaounde, April 4 (IANS): The Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT) on Wednesday expressed "great surprise" at the appointment of Belgian Marc Brys as head coach of the national men's football team, calling it regrettable.

On Tuesday, the country's Minister of Sports and Physical Education, Narcisse Mouelle Kombi said that the new head coach was appointed following "high instructions" of President Paul Biya.

FECAFOOT said in a statement that it did not know about the appointment, reports Xinhua.

"Cameroon Football Federation has learned, at the same time as all Cameroonians, the appointment to positions of responsibility for the national senior men's football team," the statement said, adding that the "unilateral" decision violates a presidential decree which gives the federation the right to appoint coaching staff of the national teams.

"FECAFOOT intends to provide an explanation on this regrettable situation, as well as will communicate without delay the action it intends to take," the statement added.

Brys was appointed to replace Rigobert Song, who had guided Cameroon to the 2022 FIFA World Cup and was dismissed in February following Cameroon's poor performance in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote D'Ivoire.