CAF General Secretary resigns amid AFCON title controversy
The General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), Veron Mosengo-Omba, has resigned during a turbulent period for football on the continent.
In a statement released on Sunday, Mosengo-Omba indicated that he was stepping down, describing his exit as a retirement. However, his departure comes amid ongoing fallout from controversial decisions surrounding the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), including the stripping of Senegal’s 2025 title and the last-minute postponement of the women’s tournament.
These developments have left CAF, African football’s governing body, grappling with a growing crisis of confidence.
In his statement, Mosengo-Omba alluded to the controversies that marked 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 CAF more prosperous than ever."
The 66-year-old, who served as deputy to CAF President Patrice Motsepe, had faced criticism for remaining in office beyond the organisation’s mandatory retirement age of 63. He was also accused by some staff of fostering a toxic work environment, although an internal investigation cleared him of wrongdoing.
Mosengo-Omba, a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo with Swiss nationality, was appointed General Secretary in March 2021.
According to Reuters, CAF’s Competitions Director, Samson Adamu, is expected to assume the role of Acting General Secretary.
Meanwhile, CAF awaits a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding Senegal’s appeal against the decision to strip them of the AFCON title.
The controversy stems from last month’s final between Senegal and hosts Morocco. During the match, Senegal’s players temporarily walked off the pitch in protest after Morocco were awarded a stoppage-time penalty while the score was 0-0. Following a delay of approximately 17 minutes, play resumed, Morocco missed the penalty, and Senegal went on to score the winning goal in extra time.
However, after an appeal by the Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF), CAF ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory—sparking widespread debate and further intensifying scrutiny of the organisation.
Read the statement below:
