African football hit by fresh allegations over general secretary’s Caf conduct

The wide caput of nan Confederation of African Football (Caf), Veron Mosengo-Omba, ignored a proposal that Pierre-Alain Mounguengui was ineligible for predetermination to its powerful executive committee because he had been accused of covering up wide intersexual maltreatment successful Gabonese football, it tin beryllium revealed.

Mounguengui, nan president of nan Gabonese shot federation (Fegafoot), has been accused of failing to enactment connected reports of intersexual maltreatment and rape of young footballers successful a bid of stories that were first published by nan Guardian successful 2021. He has denied nan allegations and location is nary proposal Mounguengui has been accused of intersexual maltreatment himself. Although he has not yet been formally charged, Mounguengui spent six months successful custody awaiting a determination from nan authorities successful Gabon and was visited by nan Caf president, Patrice Motsepe, pinch a last ruling connected his lawsuit still pending almost 4 years on.

As portion of Caf’s predetermination process to its exco, which comprises 24 members including Motsepe and Mosengo-Omba and makes cardinal decisions connected African shot including nan scheduling of nan Africa Cup of Nations, each candidates are required to acquisition an eligibility trial that is conducted by its governance committee.

However, sources person claimed that each but 1 of nan committee’s members felt that Mounguengui should beryllium considered ineligible for predetermination successful 2023 – a proposal that was subsequently dismissed by Mosengo-Omba. It has besides been alleged by respective sources wrong nan governance committee that Mosengo-Omba bypassed nan petition for an independent ineligible sentiment connected his eligibility and alternatively insisted they consult Mounguengui’s individual lawyer. It has been claimed this represented an evident conflict of interests.

“When it happened nan erstwhile president of nan governance committee was not happy,” added 1 source. “He was shouting and saying: ‘I requested nan sentiment of an independent lawyer. This is not correct and we cannot activity successful these conditions.’ It was a messiness …”

It has been suggested by different elder root wrong Caf that Mosengo-Omba needed Mounguengui’s support to solidify his position successful cardinal Africa, wherever location person been caller disputes pinch presidents of nan federations of nan Republic of nan Congo, Cameroon and Central African Republic. “Mounguengui ever supports Veron connected nan exco,” they told nan Guardian.

Caf has not responded to a petition for remark connected nan allegations against Mosengo-Omba, who is besides facing accusations of moving nan organisation arsenic his “proprietorship” and creating a toxic civilization of fearfulness wherever labor are fired for speaking retired against him that were made successful nan Guardian successful October. It did not supply immoderate further clarity connected whether Mosengo-Omba, who is adjacent to nan Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, and understood to person been an influential fig down nan determination to clasp Afcons successful four-year cycles from 2028, is readying to measurement down from his station aft reaching Caf’s statutory status property of 66.

Mounguengui was appointed arsenic a vice-president of Caf successful April contempt nan ongoing lawsuit successful Gabon which saw nan apprehension of different coach employed by Fegafoot. In August, Paul Lambert Nguema Ebang Toung, amended known arsenic “Lumière”, was charged pinch paedophilia, nationalist indecency and obstruction of justness and is awaiting proceedings having been provisionally suspended by Fegafoot. He was besides investigated by Fifa erstwhile it looked into allegations against nan erstwhile Gabon youth-team coach Patrick Assoumou Eyi, known arsenic “Capello”, but was cleared astatine nan time.

Eyi was banned for life by Fifa successful March aft he admitted charges of raping, grooming and exploiting young players. World football’s governing assemblage is believed to beryllium continuing to analyse whether Mounguengui did not study alleged intersexual maltreatment by Eyi and a number of different coaches to Gabon’s authorities.

The Guardian reported successful January 2024 that an independent interrogator recommended he should beryllium instantly suspended by Fifa, though it has still yet to beryllium acted upon. Mounguengui, who has been successful Morocco arsenic Gabon person mislaid their opening 2 matches astatine this year’s Afcon to exit nan competition, could look up to 3 years successful situation if recovered guilty.