Omam Biyik, the Indomitable Lions’ ultimate “fire fighter”
Called up as a fire fighter for a third stint with Cameroon’s senior national team, Omam Biyik is working his magic just like in his two previous spells (2011, 2019).
The 1990 World Cup hero passed-on a job to coach the Central African Republic earlier this year when a chance came to serve his native Cameroon, a team he helped to AFCON Bronze in 2021, under the stewardship of Antonio Concecao.
Working as an Analyst supervisor under Belgian tactician Marc Brys, Omam has contributed to the team’s 6-game invincible run; four wins and two draws.
Even more exciting is the fact that Omam Biyik has helped solve the issue of goal draughts – as the indomitable Lions have netted 11 times in their last 6 games.
Team forwards like marskman Vincent Aboubakar have admitted that the EX Lions assistance has been helpful in cutting teams open in the Brys tenure.
For starters, Omam Biyik was a key member of the fabulous 1990 world cup quarter-final scalp for the indomitable Lions.
The latter now holds a UEFA licence A football coaching certificate issued by the French Football Federation.
After his first stay in the den of the Indomitable Lions in 2011 as assistant, François Omam Biyik had adventures in Togo and Gabon.
In 2012, he was general manager of Gomido de Kpalimé, a club in the Togolese first division.
Then he worked as coach of US Bitam (Gabon) from 2012 to 2015. In 2018, he was appointed the general manager of Academica Calcio, the boyhood club of erstwhile Arsenal FC center forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
As a player, Omam is ranked second best scorer in the history of the Indomitable Lions with 45 goals in 75 games.
Going by the ratio of goals scored per game, Omam is head and shoulders above his rivals, and by the way, he is in good company with the likes of: Eto’o, Roger Milla and Vincent Aboubakar.
Titles
François Omam Biyik was a serial winner and born leader for the Lions.
He won the 1988 Africa Cup of Nations, finished quarter-finalist in the 1990 World Cup, made four participations in the final phase of the AFCON: 1988, 1990, 1992 and 1996.
The analyst supervisor of the Lions also recorded three participations in the final phase of the World Cup: 1990, 1994 and 1998. He has a total of 11 matches played in the final phase of the World Cup.
At club level, Omam made his mark from his first club, Pouma Fc between 1984 and 1986.
In 40 matches played, he scored 30 goals. That goals return secured a move to Canon of Yaounde. From Canon, he played for cumulatively 10 other clubs including Lens and Marseille.
With the Indomitable Lions between 1986 to 1987, he scored 35 goals in 55 matches. He was Cameroon premier division winner in 1986 and winner of the Cameroon Cup in 1986.
Those achievements opened the professional doors for him. It was at Laval, a French first division club, that he dropped off his bags between 1987 and 1990. Despite numerous injuries, he scored 37 goals in 81 matches.
After the Italy 90 World Cup, Omam spent a season in Rennes where he played 38 matches and scored 14 goals. He also had a spell in Cannes where in 35 matches, he scored 7 goals.
Omam Biyik continues to pass on the knowledge to the younger generation, and it is his wish to win a major silverware with the senior men’s national team. Cameroon are already through to the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, and that is an opportunity for Biyik and the Lions backroom staff to cement a place in history.
