Nigerian Samson Adamu named CAF general secretary

Nigerian football administrator Samson Adamu. Photo: CAF

Nigerian football administrator Samson Adamu, has been appointed General Secretary of the Confederation of African Football.

CAF announced the appointment in a statement on its website on Sunday, following what it described as a comprehensive recruitment process.

Adamu had been acting General Secretary since March, after Veron Mosengo-Omba resigned.

Mosengo-Omba later became president of the football federation in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe was quoted in the statement as saying the appointment followed a competitive exercise in which the position was widely advertised and several candidates were interviewed.

Adamu has spent eight years at CAF, first as Director of Competitions and later as Director of Tournaments and Events.

“Adamu brings extensive experience in African football administration, having joined CAF in 2018 as Director of Competitions before subsequently serving as Director of Tournaments and Events.

“He has played a leading role in the delivery of several major continental competitions, including CAF’s flagship tournament, the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations,” Motsepe was quoted as saying.

A graduate of the FIFA Master programme in International Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, Adamu brings considerable institutional knowledge to the role.

He is expected to oversee CAF’s day-to-day administration and support the implementation of its strategic priorities.

Adamu is the son of Amos Adamu, a former Director of Sports in the then Ministry of Sports and a former FIFA Executive Committee member.

His appointment places him in a line of CAF General Secretaries that includes members of Egypt’s Fahmy family.

Mourad Fahmy served from 1961 to 1982, followed by his son, Mustapha Fahmy, from 1982 to 2010, and grandson, Amr Fahmy, who held the post from 2017 to 2019.