The Democratic Republic of the Congo's football federation, Fecofa, has altered eligibility rules for its presidential elections, clearing the way for Véron Mosengo-Omba, a former general secretary of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and a university friend of Fifa president Gianni Infantino, to stand as a candidate.
Election Postponement and Rule Change
The election, originally set for 11 April, has been postponed to next month. The delay is understood to be linked to Mosengo-Omba's nationality status. He surrendered his Congolese passport when he left the DRC to study in Europe at age 18 and is now a Swiss citizen, holding only a diplomatic Congolese passport. Under Fecofa's previous statutes, this would have disqualified him from running.
However, an amendment was passed allowing any Congolese individual with prior involvement in football administration to stand. This change is expected to be ratified by an electoral commission review in the coming days, enabling the 66-year-old, who also served as Fifa's chief member associations officer, to run.
Controversy and Criticism
When asked by the Guardian whether the rule change was tailored for Mosengo-Omba, a Fecofa spokesperson declined to comment. Mosengo-Omba confirmed he still uses his diplomatic passport but did not respond to questions about whether it had hindered his candidacy.
Luc Mangala, a prominent football agent in the DRC, voiced strong opposition: “Mosengo-Omba does not hold Congolese nationality, only a diplomatic passport; he has never completed the procedures to obtain full Congolese citizenship in all these years, and now … he wants to do so and take over the presidency of our football federation? This is unacceptable.” Mangala added that Mosengo-Omba has met with voters, claiming to be the candidate of President Felix Tshisekedi.
Caf president Patrice Motsepe appeared to confirm this when Mosengo-Omba's departure as general secretary was announced last month after a controversial tenure and a disputed 2026 Africa Cup of Nations final. “He told me he has been asked by the DR Congo president to go and help with football development in that country,” Motsepe said.
Mosengo-Omba's Response
Mosengo-Omba became the ninth and final candidate to confirm his candidacy on Monday, facing competition from former Blackburn and Monaco striker Shabani Nonda, among others. He dismissed claims that the rule change was made for him but acknowledged that having Tshisekedi's support would be a “significant advantage” if elected.
“Government support is essential for developing sports infrastructure, in particular,” he told the Guardian. “My candidacy scares some because everyone knows precisely that my war horse is the fight against corruption and the misuse of funds intended for football. I have met great success at Caf in this fight, even if much remains to be done. And in DR Congo as elsewhere, there is work to be done.”
Background and Allegations
Mosengo-Omba was accused by some employees of creating a toxic environment at Caf, although an investigation after staff complaints cleared him of any wrongdoing. Reports in the DRC last month alleged that presidents of regional leagues were told by the country's sports minister, Didier Budimbu, that Mosengo-Omba “must be supported” when presented as Tshisekedi's endorsed candidate at a meeting. Budimbu described those claims as “completely unfounded” in a statement to the Guardian, adding that “the individuals eligible to vote in these elections are neither known to me nor close to me.”
Despite the men's team qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in over 50 years, Fecofa has been under a Fifa normalisation committee for nearly three years to address “irregular, unhealthy, and deadlocked” governance and to organize new elections. Mosengo-Omba promised in an interview with France 24 last week that he would turn Fecofa “into a paradise” if elected. “I served world football, then African football and now I plan to serve the country of my origin,” he said.
