KEIR RADNEDGE REPORTS: Véron Mosengo-Omba has resigned as general secretary of the Confederation of African Football after a turbulent five-year tenure defined as much by his close ties to FIFA president Gianni Infantino as by the persistent allegations of administrative overreach and financial misconduct within the organisation.

In a statement released via social media, the 66-year-old Swiss-Congolese official framed his exit as a retirement to focus on “personal projects.” He claimed to leave the organization “more prosperous than ever,” asserting that he had successfully dispelled the “suspicions” cast upon him by internal rivals.

However, to many observers, the timing of his departure suggests a leader finally buckling under the weight of a deepening institutional crisis.

Mosengo-Omba’s rise to the summit of African football was inextricably linked to his lifelong friendship with Gianni Infantino. The two were university colleagues at the University of Fribourg in Switzerland, and Mosengo-Omba followed Infantino from UEFA to FIFA in 2016.

His appointment at CAF in 2021 was widely viewed as an attempt by Zurich to exert “remote control” over African affairs. Critics often described him as Infantino’s linchpin in the region—the essential figure ensuring that CAF’s 54 member associations remained aligned with FIFA’s global agenda.

This perception fuelled resentment among those who felt the continent’s sovereignty was being compromised.

Despite the public support of CAF president Patrice Motsepe, Mosengo-Omba’s administration was frequently characterized by a “culture of fear.” Investigative reports, most notably by The Guardian, detailed an environment where whistleblowers were allegedly silenced and senior staff were dismissed for questioning his style of leadership.

A Swiss investigation into “suspicious payments” and unauthorised bonuses which was dropped for lack of evidence also cast a long shadow over his reputation.

He faced fierce criticism for remaining in office well past CAF’s mandatory retirement age of 63, a move seen by many as a blatant disregard for the organisation’s own rules.

The last straw in his reign was the fallout from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, where Senegal were controversially stripped of the title in favour of hosts Morocco after a pitch protest.

Samson Adamu, CAF’s current director of competitions, will step in as acting general secretary.

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