In brief
In a significant shakeup within the Confederation of African Football (CAF), General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba has announced his resignation amid growing controversies surrounding the football organization. His departure follows the decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and the last-minute postponement of a women's tournament, leading to a crisis of confidence within CAF. Mosengo-Omba claims to retire with a clearer conscience, despite past accusations against him and criticism over his extended tenure past the retirement age.
The general secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has resigned amid a chaotic time for football on the continent. Veron Mosengo-Omba stated that he was retiring, but his departure comes amidst the fallout from controversies including decisions to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and the last-minute postponement of the women’s tournament.
These incidents have left CAF, the governing body for African football, battling a significant crisis of confidence. Mosengo-Omba alluded to controversies faced during his tenure in a statement on Sunday.
Now that I have been able to dispel the suspicions that some people have gone to great lengths to cast on me, I can retire with peace of mind and without constraint, leaving CAF more prosperous than ever, Mosengo-Omba, deputy to CAF president Patrice Motsepe, expressed.
The 66-year-old had faced criticism for overstaying as general secretary past the organization’s mandatory retirement age of 63 and allegations from some employees citing a toxic atmosphere. However, an investigation following staff complaints cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Mosengo-Omba, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo but also a Swiss national, was appointed as general secretary in March 2021. Following his resignation, Samson Adamu, CAF's competitions director, is set to take over as acting general secretary.
CAF is currently pending a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport regarding Senegal's appeal against being stripped of the AFCON title. Senegal is contesting CAF's ruling that revoked their 1-0 victory over Morocco in the recent AFCON final, where their players protested a stoppage-time penalty awarded to Morocco. Following their appeal, CAF controversially ruled that Senegal forfeited the match, awarding Morocco a 3-0 win.
