Véron Mosengo-Omba, the sole candidate to become president of the Democratic Republic of the Congo football federation (Fecofa), is facing allegations of bullying and intimidation against members of the Confederation of African Football’s (Caf) audit and compliance committee (AACC).
Alleged Incident in October 2024
The allegations center on a two-hour meeting held on October 19, 2024, between Mosengo-Omba, then Caf general secretary, and the AACC. During the meeting, Mosengo-Omba reportedly threatened to sue committee members and report them to the Fifa ethics committee. The threat came after the AACC endorsed a 2023-24 governance, risk and compliance (GRC) report that was highly critical of Mosengo-Omba’s ethical conduct. The Guardian has listened to a recording of the meeting.
Committee Member's Account
A member of the AACC who attended the meeting told The Guardian: “First of all Véron called this meeting instead of our chair … and started the meeting with an introduction … but three minutes into it, he is talking about suing us if we report that there are issues in the financial statements.” The member added that their relationship started well but deteriorated when they began reviewing audit reports. “At times I had to ask why the head of legal was in that meeting rather than the head of governance,” they said.
The AACC member stated that Mosengo-Omba threatened to report them to the Fifa ethics committee over the GRC report, claiming the committee was complicit in a campaign of “calumny” against him. “He said it could attract Fifa sanctions. He threatened to sue all of us and threatened us with his lawyers,” the member said, adding that they have considered resigning but do not want to leave the committee in disarray.
GRC Report Details
The nine-page 2023-24 GRC report, seen by The Guardian, was written by head of governance Hannan Nur. In it, she stated that she was “obstructed” in completing her compliance duties and that there was “undue interference in GRC work” from Mosengo-Omba’s office. Nur wrote: “To position Caf in the realm of international football organisations, in the past year, the head of GRC drafted a newly updated compliance programme … For almost a year, the office of the general secretary held back these documents for review … The constant obstruction addresses an overall perception of widespread mistrust which fuels beliefs of professional inadequacy and incompetency.” Nur was dismissed last year and is suing Caf for victimisation and unfair dismissal.
Response from Mosengo-Omba
Mosengo-Omba did not reply to The Guardian’s request for comment. He has previously denied wrongdoing, insisting he has “acted with full integrity” and that “independent investigations will expose the falsity” of the claims. The Guardian also contacted Mohammed Zaazi and other AACC members but received no response.
Calls for Investigation
Miguel Maduro, former chair of Fifa’s governance committee, called for an investigation into Nur’s dismissal. “It’s suspicious but one needs a proper investigation to establish the link between the report and her firing,” he told The Guardian. “Only a proper investigation will be able to establish that. I can only say that such an investigation, obviously, should take place.”
Mosengo-Omba's Resignation and Candidacy
Mosengo-Omba, 66, resigned as Caf general secretary in March, having stayed beyond the mandatory retirement age of 63. He stated: “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 … to devote myself to more personal projects.” In October 2025, The Guardian reported that Mosengo-Omba had been accused of running Caf as his “proprietorship” and creating a toxic culture of fear. He has denied any wrongdoing.
In March, Mosengo-Omba became the ninth and final candidate to confirm his candidacy in the Fecofa elections, set for Wednesday. The other eight candidates have withdrawn or been declared ineligible, positioning Mosengo-Omba to assume office and lead the country to their second World Cup. His candidacy has been controversial: having left the DRC at 18 and renounced his citizenship to become Swiss, it remains unclear whether he has legally restored his Congolese citizenship, as the constitution forbids dual nationality.
Caf president Patrice Motsepe told The Guardian last year that he had “complete trust and confidence in Véron.” However, Jean-Claude Mukanya, former DRC captain and a candidate ruled ineligible, has called for the elections to be suspended and for an investigation into alleged irregularities. A statement from Mukanya said: “To Fifa and Caf, we ask for the opening of a serious investigation so that light is shed on the electoral process in the Democratic Republic of Congo, to establish the responsibilities of each other before deciding to reschedule new deadlines for the elections of the executive committee of the Fecofa.”
