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Véron Mosengo-Omba, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) general secretary, has resigned after repeated calls for his removal and at a turbulent time for the game on the continent.
Mosengo-Omba said he was retiring but his departure comes amid a crisis of confidence in the organisation’s leadership, with a growing fallout over the decision to strip Senegal of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) title and calls for an investigation into alleged corruption at African football’s governing body.
There has been a swell of recent criticism of his staying on as general secretary well past the organisation’s mandatory retirement age of 63, largely on social media but also from members of Caf’s executive committee.
“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,” Mosengo-Omba said in a statement. “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.
“I sincerely thank the Caf’s president, Dr Patrice Motsepe, my teams, and all those who, directly or indirectly, have enabled Caf and organised African football to make real and remarkable progress. Let us hope that the progress made will last and be sustained.”
Africa Cup of Nations to be expanded to 28 teams
ShowThe Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) is set to be increased to 28 teams from 24, Patrice Motsepe, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) president, said on Sunday.
The surprise announcement was made at a press conference following an executive committee meeting, with Motsepe saying it was evidence of his organisation’s “commitment to world-class football with the best African players from all over the world returning to compete on the continent“. But he did not explain how the format will work with four extra teams, nor when it would be implemented.
The last four tournaments have all had 24 participants, increased from 16 ahead of the 2019 edition. Motsepe insisted the 2027 finals would go ahead as planned in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
There is to be another Afcon tournament in 2028, after which the continent’s showpiece event will be held every four years. Caf is to introduce a Nations League annually from 2029 with a 16-team final tournament held every two years, he added.
“We have to stop this thing of African fixtures not being predictable, consistent and reliable. We must develop football in east Africa, which is an area of much potential,” Motsepe said. Reuters
Mosengo-Omba has been a divisive figure at Caf, accused by some employees of creating a toxic atmosphere in the workplace, although an investigation after staff complaints cleared him of any wrongdoing. The 66-year-old is of Congolese origin but a Swiss citizen and a former Fifa employee who was a university friend of Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino.
Although he said he was retiring, Mosengo-Omba is expected to run for the post of president of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s football federation in elections in the coming months. If successful, that would thrust him into contention for Caf’s top job should Motsepe resign to enter politics in his native South Africa, where he is being touted as a possible successor to the president, Cyril Ramaphosa. Motsepe has, however, denied this.
This month Motsepe admitted Caf was struggling with questions over its integrity and, in the wake of the Afcon final controversy, Senegal’s government has called for an international investigation into the running of the organisation.
Stripping Senegal of the Afcon title was a decision made by Caf’s appeals board but as a result there has been a heavy toll on the image of the African game. Caf said on Sunday that its competitions director, Samson Adamu, would take over as acting general secretary.
