Top CAF Official Steps Down Amid Tournament Uproar, African Cup of Nations to Grow to 28-Nation Competition

Veron Mosengo-Omba, the general secretary of the Confederation of African Football, has relinquished his position after a five-year tenure, citing a desire to retire with a clear conscience, following a period marked by significant controversy, and will be leaving the CAF in a more prosperous state than when he began.

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Mosengo-Omba's decision to step down was announced in a statement on Sunday, in which he expressed his satisfaction at having dispelled certain suspicions that had been cast upon him, and is now able to retire without any constraints, as he had initially intended to do so with peace of mind.

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The resignation of Mosengo-Omba comes at a time when the organization is dealing with the aftermath of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final, which initially saw Senegal defeat Morocco 1-0, but was subsequently awarded to Morocco with a 3-0 score, after Senegal was deemed to have forfeited the match due to a dispute over a stoppage-time penalty, a decision that Senegal has since appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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The recent postponement of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations, which was initially set to take place from March 17 to April 3 in Morocco, but will now commence on July 25 and conclude on August 16, also precedes Mosengo-Omba's departure from the organization.

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Mosengo-Omba, who holds dual Congolese and Swiss nationality, faced criticism during his tenure for continuing to serve beyond the official retirement age of 63, and for allegedly creating a challenging work environment, although an internal investigation ultimately cleared him of any wrongdoing.

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Samson Adamu, the competitions director of CAF, will assume the role of interim general secretary while the process of appointing a permanent replacement is underway, ensuring continuity in the organization's leadership.

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CAF president Patrice Motsepe has announced that the flagship Africa Cup of Nations tournament will be expanded from 24 to 28 teams, although the details of the new format have not yet been disclosed, and the tournament will become a quadrennial event after the 2027 edition.

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The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations is scheduled to take place across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, and to address the resulting gap in fixtures and revenue, CAF plans to launch an annual Nations League-style competition starting in 2029, featuring all 54 member associations and following FIFA international break slots.