DR Congo: Nine candidates for the presidency of FECOFA
Nine candidates will run for the presidency of the Congolese Football Federation in the election on 20 May. Among these candidates, there are notably the former secretary general of CAF, Véron Mosengo-Omba, the current president of the Linafoot Management Commission, Bosco Mwehu and the former captain of the DRC, Shabani Nonda.
Philemon MBALE · Author profile ·
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This is a first in the history of the Congolese Football Federation (FECOFA): nine candidates were registered for the position of president of the body at the close of filings, which took place on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. The very last one was filed shortly before midnight; it is that of former Congolese international and member of the Union des footballeurs du Congo (UFC), Jean-Claude Mukanya.
A few minutes earlier, Véron Mosengo-Omba, former secretary general of CAF, came to table his list, accompanied by several relatives. The former director of FIFA member associations was particularly expected, as was Bosco Mwehu, current president of the LINAFOOT Management Commission, who approved his application after 10:00 p.m., Kinshasa time.
Nonda, the big surprise
The major surprise of the day came from former Leopards captain, Shabani Nonda. Although he was not among the favorites for the presidency, the former international striker (22 caps, 14 goals) beat all predictions by presenting himself at the FECOFA secretariat on Tuesday.
The former Monegasque did not hide his emotion during his speech after the submission of his file.
"It is with great pleasure and emotion that I express myself today in the home of footballers. This is a special day for me; I came in person to apply for the presidency of the federation. My vision is clear: change and transparency,"
he said.
If the announcement of his candidacy has sparked a huge wave of support on social media, it should be remembered that, unfortunately for him, the public does not vote.
Three former employees of Omari in the race
Among the other contenders, there are notably two former FECOFA executives under the Constant Omari era: Patrice-Rainier Mangenda, former deputy secretary general, and Jean-Didier Massamba, former vice-president in charge of technology. To this list is added the candidacy of Aziz Makukula, former ambassador of Congolese football appointed at the time by Omari.
In addition to these profiles, Max Mayaka, former president of the DCMP, as well as Kevin Issa, an entrepreneur invested in youth football, complete this list of contenders.
Suspense around the processing of lists
Since the voting system is based on lists, the suspense remains intact. It is now a question of how many lists will be officially selected by the Electoral Commission after the examination of the files according to the eligibility criteria.
The first trends will be known on 1 May with the publication of the provisional lists. The final lists will be unveiled on 11 May, after any appeals have been processed. The election of new members of the FECOFA Executive Committee will take place on 20 May.