Samson Adamu appointed CAF acting secretary-general — first Nigerian in 69 years

Samson Adamu, the Nigerian football administrator, has been appointed as the acting secretary general of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

The appointment, which was approved on Sunday during a CAF congress meeting at the Giza Palace Hotel in Cairo, Egypt, makes Adamu the first Nigerian to hold the position since the continent’s football-governing body was founded nearly seven decades ago.

Adamu’s elevation follows the resignation of Veron Mosengo-Omba, the Swiss-Congolese official who stepped down from the role on the same day.

Before the landmark appointment, Adamu served as CAF’s director of tournaments and events, a role that saw him oversee the logistics and execution of major continental competitions.

His name was proposed by the CAF executive committee before receiving the official nod from the congress in Cairo.

The secretary general is widely considered the “engine room” of African football, responsible for the day-to-day administration of the body, legal matters, and the implementation of decisions made by the executive committee.

With the appointment, Nigeria finally secures a seat at the highest level of CAF’s administrative hierarchy, ending a drought that dates back to the organisation’s inception in 1957.