CAF General-Secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba, resigns amid growing turmoil in African football

The General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Veron Mosengo-Omba, has resigned at a tumultuous time for the organisation.

Mosengo-Omba announced he was retiring, but his departure comes in the wake of major controversies, including CAF’s decisions to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title and to postpone the women’s tournament at the last minute. According to the BBC, the incidents have left CAF battling a crisis of confidence.

In a statement on Sunday, Mosengo-Omba referenced the challenges faced during his tenure, saying:
“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 the CAF more prosperous than ever.”

The 66-year-old had faced criticism for remaining in office past CAF’s mandatory retirement age of 63. He had also been accused by some staff of fostering a toxic work environment, although an internal investigation later cleared him of wrongdoing.

Mosengo-Omba, who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo and also holds Swiss nationality, was appointed as CAF’s general secretary in March 2021.

According to Reuters, CAF Competitions Director Samson Adamu will serve as the acting general secretary.

CAF is now awaiting a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Senegal’s appeal against being stripped of the Afcon title. Senegal is contesting the decision by CAF’s appeals body to overturn their 1–0 win over hosts Morocco in January’s Afcon final.

That match saw Senegal’s players leave the pitch in protest after Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty at 0–0. After a delay of 17 minutes, the penalty was missed, and Senegal went on to score the decisive goal in extra time.

However, following an appeal by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), CAF ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, awarding Morocco a 3–0 victory.

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