Nigerian football administrator Samson Adamu has been appointed Acting Secretary General of the Confederation of African Football, becoming the first Nigerian to hold the position in the organisation’s 70-year history, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
Adamu, who previously served as CAF’s Director of Tournaments and Events, replaces Swiss-Congolese Veron Mossengo-Omba, who resigned amid mounting criticism over his leadership and the controversial stripping of Senegal’s Africa Cup of Nations title.
The appointment was proposed by the CAF Executive Committee and ratified by the Congress at a meeting held on Sunday at the Giza Palace Hotel in Cairo, Egypt. Adamu will oversee CAF operations during a turbulent period for African football.
Mossengo-Omba had cited retirement and a desire to focus on personal projects after more than 30 years in international football administration.
“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,” Mossengo-Omba said.
His resignation followed criticism over his extended stay beyond CAF’s mandatory retirement age of 63 and calls for greater accountability within the organisation. CAF President Patrice Motsepe later indicated that Mossengo-Omba had been requested by the Democratic Republic of Congo to assist with football development and could potentially seek the DR Congo football federation presidency in the future.
Adamu now faces the responsibility of guiding CAF through heightened scrutiny and organisational reforms, with the critical task of restoring confidence in the governance of African football.
