Veron Mosengo-Omba has resigned as Secretary General of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), stepping down on Sunday, March 29, 2026, as the continental governing body faces a deepening crisis of confidence over its decision to strip Senegal of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title.
His departure comes during the fallout over CAF’s decision to strip Senegal of the AFCON 2025 title and a last-minute postponement of the women’s tournament, two incidents that have left African football’s governing body battling a serious credibility challenge.
In his resignation statement issued from Cairo, Egypt, where CAF’s Executive Committee was in session, Mosengo-Omba framed his exit as a personal transition rather than a forced removal. “After over 30 years of an international professional career dedicated to promoting an ideal form of football that brings people together, educates, and creates opportunities for hope, I have decided to step down from my position as Secretary General of CAF to devote myself to more personal projects,” he said.
He also referenced the controversies that shadowed his tenure. “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,” he added.
Mosengo-Omba had faced growing criticism, including from within CAF’s executive committee, over his decision to remain in post well past the organisation’s mandatory retirement age of 63. The Guardian had also reported claims of a toxic culture of fear among employees, even after he was cleared of alleged governance breaches by an internal probe.
The Swiss-Congolese official is a university friend of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and followed him from UEFA to FIFA in 2016 before leaving to take over as CAF general secretary in 2021. In January 2025, the Swiss Public Prosecutor’s Office decided to halt investigations against him, finding no legal basis to initiate proceedings against him over earlier allegations of financial misconduct.
CAF President Dr. Patrice Motsepe told reporters that Mosengo-Omba had stood down partly to assist with football development in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following a request from the country’s president, Felix Tshisekedi. “We are enormously grateful to Veron for his contributions and the work he did for the development and growth of African football,” Motsepe said.
CAF’s Director of Competitions Samson Adamu has taken over as acting general secretary, with Motsepe confirming: “The vice-presidents will lead the process and report to me on the appointment of a permanent general secretary.”
CAF is currently awaiting a ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Senegal’s appeal against the stripping of their AFCON title. Senegal is challenging the CAF appeals body’s decision to overturn their 1-0 extra-time win over hosts Morocco in the final, a match marred by a 17-minute stoppage after Senegal’s players walked off in protest at a controversial penalty award. Morocco subsequently missed the spot kick, but CAF later ruled Senegal had forfeited the match and awarded Morocco a 3-0 victory.
Senegal paraded the AFCON trophy at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday ahead of their 2-0 friendly win over Peru, defiantly displaying a title that remains legally contested.
Mosengo-Omba is expected to contest the presidency of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s football federation in elections in the coming months.
