West African Football Union

West African Football Union
Union des Fédérations Ouest-Africaines de Football
União das Federações Oeste Africanas
  Zone A
  Zone B
Formation 1975
Type Sports organization
Region served
West Africa
Membership
Official language
English, French and Portuguese
President
 Ghana Kwesi Nyantakyi
Website http://www.wa-fu.org

The West African Football Union (French: Union des Fédérations Ouest-Africaines de Football; Portuguese: União das Federações Oeste Africanas), officially abbreviated as WAFU-UFOA and WAFU, is an association of the football playing nations in West Africa. It was the brainchild of the Senegal Football Federation who requested that the nations belonging to CAF's Zone A and B meet and hold a regular competitive tournament. The union organises several competitions including the WAFU Nations Cup and in 2008 they organised an under-20 championship.

Current members

The union was founded in 1975 with all the current members, but in 2011 the Confederation of African Football decided to split it into two zones, citing "the organisational issues that face WAFU."[1][2]

  • Zone A (Niger)
  • Zone B (Volta Niger)

Mauritania is the only WAFU member to also be a member of the Union of Arab Football Associations.

Zone A

Country Year Governing body National team captain
 Cape Verde 1975 Federação Caboverdiana de Futebol Nando
 Gambia Gambia Football Association Pa Dembo Touray
 Guinea Fédération Guinéenne de Football Kamil Zayatte
 Guinea-Bissau Federação de Futebol da Guiné-Bissau Unknown
 Liberia Liberia Football Association George Gebro
 Mali Fédération Malienne de Football Seydou Keita
 Mauritania Fédération de Football de la République Islamique de Mauritanie Unknown
 Senegal Fédération Sénégalaise de Football Papiss Cissé
 Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Football Association Ibrahim Kargbo

Zone B

Country Year Governing body National team captain
 Benin 1975 Fédération Béninoise de Football Stéphane Sessègnon
 Burkina Faso Fédération Burkinabé de Football Moumouni Dagano
 Ivory Coast Fédération Ivoirienne de Football Didier Drogba
 Ghana Ghana Football Association Asamoah Gyan
 Niger Fédération Nigerienne de Football Ouwo Moussa Maazou
 Nigeria Nigeria Football Federation John Obi Mikel
 Togo Fédération Togolaise de Football Serge Akakpo

Competitions

WAFU runs several competitions which cover men's, women's, youth.

CompetitionHoldersNext event
WAFU Nations Cup Ghana (2017)
WAFU Women's Cup Ghana (2018)
WAFU U-20 Championship Gambia (2018)2020
WAFU-UFOA Zone B
WAFU-UFOA Zone A		 Nigeria 2018
 Senegal 2018		2020
2020
UEMOA Tournament Togo (2016)2018

Defunct Competitions

CompetitionYears
Amílcar Cabral Cup1979–2007
CEDEAO Cup1977–1981
West African Nations Cup1982–1987
West African Club Championship1977–2011

Presidents

The union's current president is actually Amos Adamu, but he was banned for three years from football activity by FIFA over vote-buying claims for the bids of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. Kwesi Nyantakyi was appointed interim president in Adamu's absence. Adamu has since appealed the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.[2]

  • Ghana K. Tandoh (1975–1977)
  • Togo Seyi Memene (1977–1984)
  • Senegal Abdoulaye Fofana (1984–1988)
  • Nigeria Jonathan Boytie Ogufere (1988–1994)
  • Ivory Coast Dieng Ousseynou (1994–1999)
  • Nigeria Abdulmumini Aminu (1999–2002)
  • Senegal El Hadji Malick Sy (2002–2004)
  • Ivory Coast Jacques Anouma (2004–2008)[3]
  • Nigeria Amos Adamu (2008–2010)
  • Ghana Kwesi Nyantakyi (2011–present)

References

  1. ↑ "West African Football Union (Wafu) disbanded by Caf". British Broadcasting Corporation. BBC.co.uk. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  2. 1 2 "Caf have split the West African Football Union into two separate zones". Goal.com. Goal.com. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  3. ↑ "Wafu Cup to make a comeback". BBC Sport. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2010.


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