The secretary general of the CAF (African Football Confederation), Veron Mossengo-Omba, 66, resigned this Sunday (29) after repeated calls for his removal and at a turbulent time for sport on the continent.
Mossengo-Omba said he was retiring, but his departure comes amid a crisis of confidence in the organization’s leadership, with growing backlash over the decision to strip Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations title and calls for an investigation into alleged corruption at African football’s governing body.
There has been a recent wave of criticism of his remaining as general secretary well beyond the organization’s mandatory retirement age of 63, mainly on social media but also from members of the CAF executive committee.
“After more than 30 years of an international professional career dedicated to promoting an ideal form of football that unites people, educates and creates opportunities for hope, I have decided to leave my role as Secretary General of CAF to dedicate myself to more personal projects,” Mossengo-Omba said in a statement.
“Now that I have managed to dispel the suspicions that some people tried very hard to place on me, I can retire peacefully and without embarrassment, leaving the CAF more prosperous than ever.
“I sincerely thank CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe, my teams and all those who, directly or indirectly, have enabled CAF and organized African football to make real and notable progress. Let us hope that the progress made lasts and is sustained,” he concluded.
CAF that its Director of Competitions, Samson Adamu, would take over as interim general secretary.
toxic environment
Mossengo-Omba has been a controversial figure in the CAF, accused by some employees of creating a toxic workplace environment, although an investigation following complaints cleared him of any wrongdoing.
The 66-year-old leader is of Congolese origin, but is a Swiss citizen. He is also a former employee of FIFA (International Football Federation), and was a university classmate of the president of the largest football entity, Gianni Infantino.
Although he said he was retiring, Mossengo-Omba is expected to run for president of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s football federation in elections in the coming months, sources told Reuters.
If successful, it would put him in contention for the top CAF job should Motsepe resign to enter politics in his native South Africa, where he is being tipped as a possible successor to President Cyril Ramaphosa. Motsepe, however, denied this.
Earlier this month, Motsepe admitted that CAF is facing difficulties with questions about its integrity and, in the wake of the Nations Cup final controversy, the Senegalese government has called for an international investigation into the organization’s management.
The retirement of Senegal’s Nations Cup title was a decision taken by the CAF Appeals Board, but as a result it had a major impact on the image of African football.
Morocco will be one of the three official hosts of the 2030 World Cup, alongside Spain and Portugal.
