African football governance faces a period of significant instability following the sudden resignation of Confederation of African Football (CAF) General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba. The departure comes during one of the most contentious periods in recent African football history, marked by two major controversies: the stripping of Senegal’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and the last-minute postponement of the women’s tournament.
Mosengo-Omba announced his retirement in an official statement on Sunday, though his exit coincides with mounting institutional challenges. The 66-year-old official, who had remained in his position past CAF’s mandatory retirement age of 63, stated: ‘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 resignation follows internal turbulence, including staff complaints about workplace environment that prompted an investigation, though Mosengo-Omba was ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing. The Swiss-Congolese administrator had served as CAF’s general secretary since March 2021, operating as deputy to president Patrice Motsepe.
CAF’s current crisis centers on the controversial Afcon final decision that saw Senegal’s victory overturned. During the championship match against hosts Morocco, Senegalese players left the field in protest when Morocco was awarded a stoppage-time penalty with the score at 0-0. After a 17-minute delay, Morocco failed to convert the penalty, and Senegal scored an extra-time winner.
Following an appeal by the Moroccan Football Association, CAF’s appeals body ruled that Senegal had forfeited the match, awarding Morocco a 3-0 victory and stripping Senegal of the title. The decision now awaits final arbitration from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) as Senegal challenges the ruling.
Samson Adamu, CAF’s competitions director, will assume the role of acting general secretary during this transitional period. The organization faces mounting pressure to restore confidence in its governance structures amid these competing controversies.