2017 WAFU Cup of Nations

2017 WAFU Cup of Nations
Tournament details
Host country Ghana
Dates 9–24 September 2017
Teams 16 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s) 2 (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions  Ghana (2nd title)
Runners-up  Nigeria
Third place  Niger
Fourth place  Benin
Tournament statistics
Matches played 24
Goals scored 44 (1.83 per match)
Top scorer(s) Ghana Stephen Sarfo
Niger Adebayor Zakari Adje (3 goals)
Best player Ghana Isaac Twum
Best goalkeeper Nigeria Ikechukwu Ezenwa

The 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations (also referred to as Ghana 2017) is an association football tournament that took place in September 2017 in Ghana.

Sixteen teams from West Africa participated. The tournament was the first featuring national teams to be arranged by Fox Sports as part of a twelve year partnership between the broadcaster and the West Africa national football associations union.[1]

Originally, one of the two host cities was set to be Sekondi-Takoradi however the local organising committee changed it to Elmina due to "structural defects at the [Sekondi-Takoradi] Stadium and the danger it could pose to fans during the tournament".[2]

Participants

Draw

The draw was held on 27 July at Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.[3] Teams were ranked using the June 2017 FIFA Rankings. Ghana were given the highest ranking due to being competition hosts.[4]

The four highest ranked national teams from WAFU Zones A and B were seeded meaning they could not be drawn against each other.

Matches

  • All times listed are GMT.

First round

Zone A

Ghana  1–0  Gambia
  • Antigah  90+9' (pen.)
Report
Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)

Guinea  2–1  Guinea-Bissau
Report
  • Correia  15'
Referee: Kouassi Fredéric Biro (Ivory Coast)

Mali  3–1  Mauritania
  • Konte  30'
  • Kone  88', 91'
Report
  • Cheikh  36'
Referee: Daouda Gueye (Senegal)

Nigeria  2–0  Sierra Leone
Report
Referee: Yanissou Bebou (Togo)

Zone B

Senegal  0–0  Liberia
Report
Penalties
5–4

Burkina Faso  1–2  Niger
  • Dah  59'
Report
  • Soumana  34'
  • Halidou  71'
Referee: Daniel Laryea (Ghana)

Ivory Coast  0–0  Togo
Report
Penalties
4–3

Benin  2–0  Cape Verde
Report

Second round

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Ghana (H) 3 2 0 1 3 2 +1 6 Advance to semi-finals
2  Nigeria 3 1 2 0 2 0 +2 5
3  Mali 3 0 2 1 1 2 1 2
4  Guinea 3 0 2 1 1 3 2 2
Source: WAFU
(H) Host.
Mali  0–0  Nigeria
Report
Referee: Kouassi Fredéric Biro (Ivory Coast)
Ghana  2–0  Guinea
Report
Referee: Yanissou Bebou (Togo)

Guinea  0–0  Nigeria
Report
Referee: Daouda Gueye (Senegal)
Ghana  1–0  Mali
Report

Guinea  1–1  Mali
  • Camara  7'
Report
  • Camara  78' (o.g.)
Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
Ghana  0–2  Nigeria
Report
Referee: Kouassi Fredéric Biro (Ivory Coast)

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Benin 3 2 0 1 3 5 2 6 Advance to semi-finals
2  Niger 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
3  Senegal 3 1 1 1 5 2 +3 4
4  Ivory Coast 3 0 2 1 0 1 1 2
Source: WAFU
Senegal  1–2  Niger
  • Mbodj  61'
Report
  • Adje  29'
  • Issoufou  88'
Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
Ivory Coast  0–1  Benin
Report
Referee: Daniel Laryea (Ghana)

Niger  0–0  Ivory Coast
Report
Senegal  4–0  Benin
  • Djitte  29'
  • Kane  39'
  • Diene  60' (pen.)
  • Ndiaye  85'
Report
Referee: Cecil Fleischer (Ghana)

Niger  1–2  Benin
Report
Referee: Daniel Laryea (Ghana)
Senegal  0–0  Ivory Coast
Report
Referee: Cecil Fleischer (Ghana)

Knockout stage

Semi-finals

Benin  0–1  Nigeria
Report

Ghana  2–0  Niger
Report
Referee: Yanissou Bebou (Togo)

Third-place playoff

Niger  2–1  Benin
  • Halidou  29'
  • Adje  85'
Report
Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)

Final

Ghana  4–1  Nigeria
Report

Goalscorers

3 goals
2 goals
1 goal

Awards

Player of the tournament

Golden boot

  • Ghana Stephen Sarfo[6]

Golden Glove

Best XI

The team of the tournament was announced on 27 September 2017.[7]

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards Substitutions
Nigeria Ikechukwu Ezenwa Ghana Thomas Abbey
Guinea Conde Aminata
Senegal Ablaye Diene
Nigeria Osas Okoro
Niger Adebayor Zakari Adje
Nigeria Afeez Aremu
Benin Charbel Gomez
Ghana Isaac Twum
Ghana Winful Cobbinah
Ghana Stephen Sarfo
Ivory Coast Hortalien Ble Zadi (GK)
Nigeria Chima Akas
Guinea Abdoulaye Camara
Niger Boubacar Haini
Nigeria Adeleye Olamikelan
Niger Souleymane Sakou
Niger Daouda Yussif

Prize money

The prize was awarded in form of US dollars:[8]

Position Prize money (US Dollars)
Winner100,000
Runner-up50,000
Third place25,000
Fourth place10,000
Four losing semi-finalists10,000
Four second round finishers5,000

References

  1. Brookes, Nicholas (12 December 2016). "Media giant announces long-term partnership to improve West African soccer's infrastructure". SportsProMedia.com.
  2. WAFU CUP OF NATIONS (4 September 2017). "Tweet Number 904613256286932992". Twitter. Retrieved 4 September 2017. The LOC replaced Takoradi because of structural defects at the stadium and the danger it could pose to fans during the tournament. #WAFU2017
  3. "Ghana 2017 FoX Sports WAFU Cup of nations draw - Ghanaguardian.com". Ghanaguardian.com. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  4. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - Ranking Table - FIFA.com". FIFA.com. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  5. http://refereesfifa.blogspot.fr/2017/09/2017-wafu-cup-of-nations-final.html
  6. 1 2 3 "WAFU Cup: Ezenwa Named Best Goalkeeper As Ghana Stars Sweep Awards". Complete Sports. 24 September 2017.
  7. "Three Nigerians, Four Ghanaians Make WAFU Cup Best XI". Complete Sports. 27 September 2017.
  8. "REVEALED: $100,000 prize money for Wafu Tournament winner". Starr Sports. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
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