The Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco on Sunday, but there is one team who will arrive shrouded in controversy.
Five-time AFCON champions Cameroon are hoping to rebound from their disappointing round-of-16 exit in 2023, but they will have to do so after weeks of turmoil.
In the past month, there has been a manager fired, the emergence of two different AFCON squad lists -- with goalkeeper André Onana included in only one of them -- and incendiary media interviews.
ESPN explains how we got here and why Onana, Vincent Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting will all be watching AFCON from home.
How the dispute started
This saga can be traced back to Samuel Eto'o's re-election as Cameroon FA president in late November.
The former Barcelona and Inter Milan forward receieved 97% of the votes, which he took as a mandate to fire head coach Marc Brys.
The pair shared a long-standing animosity. He had never been Eto'o's choice -- it was the country's sports ministry that opted to hire the Belgian coach in April 2024.
In his place, Eto'o appointed David Pagou on Dec. 1 and made him the man who would lead Cameroon at AFCON.
However, the story didn't end there.
Brys has claimed that he has not been formally dismissed, saying he has only seen media coverage and received no communication from Cameroon's football federation or sports ministry.
A sourced told ESPN that during meeting in which Eto'o and his committee decided to remove Brys, they alleged the coach committed 11 infractions during his tenure, including "disrespectful" and "biased" remarks, "professional misconduct" and "manipulation" of players urging them to distrust the country's FA.
How did Cameroon have two squad lists?
On Dec. 9, Pagou announced the Cameroon's official squad list, with Onana, Aboubakar, Choupo-Moting and Michael Ngadeu-Ngadjui all omitted.
On the same day, Brys released his own squad list for the tournament, which contained all four of those players.
It sparked questions and uncertainty over the last week, prompting speculation that the missing players would in fact get the opportunity to compete in Morocco.
However, a representative from the Cameroon federation has confirmed to ESPN that there is to be no reprieve for Onana and the others, reaffirming that those named by Pagou are "the players who have been called up for the AFCON," and that the squad will not be changing.
The source also confirmed that Pagou and his appointed coaching team would lead the Indomitable Lions at the tournament, rather than Brys and his staff.
Brys, it has to be said, is not best pleased.
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Speaking to French media, he accused Eto'o of deliberately removing any players of influence and authority from the squad so he can avoid challenges to his own leadership of the federation.
"Eto'o has left out important players, and leaders," Brys told Afrik Foot. "Because he's obviously the one who made this list.
"How can you go to such a tournament without a world-class goalkeeper, or without Aboubakar? Because these are players with character, who stand up to the president."
So who is going to play for Cameroon at AFCON?
As established above, it is the group selected by Pagou that will represent Cameroon at AFCON.
The Indomitable Lions will also be missing Napoli midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa after the 30-year-old suffered a high-grade thigh injury while training with the national side during the November international break.
Goalkeepers: Devis Epassy, Simon Omossola, Simon Ngapandouetnbu, Edouard Sombang.
Defenders: Samuel Kotto, Gerzino Nyamsi, Jean-Charles Castelletto, Nouhou Tolo, Flavien Enzo Boyomo, Mahamadou Nagida, Christopher Wooh, Junior Tchamadeu, Darlin Yongwa.
Midfielders: Martin Ndzie, Carlos Baleba, Arthur Avom, Eric-Junior Dina Ebimbe, Brice Ambina, Jean Junior Onana, Olivier Kemen.
Forwards: Bryan Mbeumo, Christian Bassogog, George-Kevin N'koudou, Danny Namaso, Frank Magri, Karl Etta Eyong, Christian Kofane, Patrick Soko.
Cameroon fixtures at AFCON
Dec. 24: Cameroon vs. Gabon, 9 p.m. local time (8 p.m. GMT)
Dec. 28: Ivory Coast vs. Cameroon, 9 p.m. local time (8 p.m. GMT)
Dec. 31: Mozambique vs. Cameroon, 8 p.m. local time (7 p.m. GMT)