The Confédération Africaine de Football has formally confirmed Samson Adamu as its new General Secretary, ending the acting arrangement that had been in place since March 2026.

The CAF Executive Committee ratified the appointment this week, following what CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe described as a comprehensive recruitment process in which the position was openly advertised and multiple candidates were interviewed.

A career built inside African football

Adamu's path to the role is rooted in years of hands-on experience within CAF's own structures. He joined the organisation in 2018 as Director of Competitions and later moved into the position of Director of Tournaments and Events.

Across those roles, he was a central figure in the planning and delivery of several of CAF's most significant continental competitions, including the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations — the organisation's flagship tournament.

He holds a degree from the FIFA Master programme in International Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, a qualification that adds academic grounding to the institutional knowledge he has built over nearly a decade at CAF.

What the role demands

As General Secretary, Adamu will be responsible for overseeing CAF's daily administration and for supporting the execution of the confederation's strategic priorities — a wide-ranging brief at one of world football's most influential governing bodies.

His confirmation brings continuity to an organisation navigating an ambitious period of growth across African football, from club competitions to the continent's qualification campaign for the FIFA World Cup 2026.