Fresh Allegations Surface Over CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba's Conduct

New revelations suggest that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) General Secretary, Veron Mosengo-Omba, disregarded a recommendation regarding Pierre-Alain Mounguengui.

Mounguengui was deemed ineligible for a position on the executive committee due to accusations of covering up widespread sexual abuse in Gabonese football.

Mounguengui, the president of the Gabonese Football Federation (Fegafoot), has been accused of failing to act on reports of sexual abuse and rape involving young footballers, first brought to light by the Guardian in 2021.

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He has consistently denied these allegations and is not accused of sexual abuse himself. Despite not being formally charged, Mounguengui was held in custody for six months in Gabon.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe even visited him during this period, as a final ruling on his case remains pending nearly four years later.

All candidates for CAF's executive committee (exco), a 24-member body responsible for major decisions like scheduling the Africa Cup of Nations, must pass an eligibility check conducted by its governance committee.

However, sources claim that the governance committee, with one exception, deemed Mounguengui ineligible for the 2023 election.

This recommendation was reportedly dismissed by Mosengo-Omba. Several sources from within the committee also allege that Mosengo-Omba bypassed a request for an independent legal opinion on the matter, instead insisting they consult Mounguengui's personal lawyer, a move seen as a clear conflict of interest.

"When it happened, the former chairman of the governance committee was not happy," one source stated as quoted by the Guardian.

"He was shouting and saying: 'I requested the opinion of an independent lawyer. This is not correct, and we cannot work in these conditions.' It was a mess."

Another senior CAF source suggested that Mosengo-Omba sought Mounguengui's backing to strengthen his influence in central Africa, where he has faced disputes with federation presidents from the Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, and the Central African Republic. "Mounguengui always supports Veron on the exco," the source told the Guardian.

CAF has not commented on these allegations against Mosengo-Omba. He also faces accusations, reported by the Guardian in October, of running the organisation like a personal fiefdom and fostering a toxic work environment where staff are dismissed for speaking out.

It remains unclear if Mosengo-Omba, who is close to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, will step down upon reaching CAF's mandatory retirement age of 66.

Despite the ongoing case in Gabon, Mounguengui was appointed a CAF vice-president in April. The investigation in Gabon has since led to the arrest of another Fegafoot-employed coach.

In August, Paul Lambert Nguema Ebang Toung, known as "Lumière," was charged with paedophilia, public indecency, and obstruction of justice and is now awaiting trial.

In a related case, former Gabon youth coach Patrick Assoumou Eyi, or "Capello," was banned for life by FIFA in March after admitting to raping, grooming, and exploiting young players.

FIFA is believed to be continuing its investigation into whether Mounguengui failed to report alleged abuse by Eyi and other coaches to Gabonese authorities.

In January 2024, the Guardian reported that an independent investigator had recommended Mounguengui's immediate suspension by FIFA, a recommendation that has not yet been acted upon. If found guilty, Mounguengui could face up to three years in prison.