West African Football Union

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.

West African Football Union
  Zone A
  Zone B
Formation1975
TypeSports organization
Region served
West Africa
Membership
Official language
English, French and Portuguese
AffiliationsCAF, FIFA
Websitehttps://wafucup.com

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.[1]

  • K. Tandoh (1975–1977)
  • Seyi Memene (1977–1984)
  • Abdoulaye Fofana (1984–1988)
  • Jonathan Boytie Ogufere (1988–1994)
  • Dieng Ousseynou (1994–1999)
  • Abdulmumini Aminu (1999–2002)
  • El Hadji Malick Sy (2002–2004)
  • Jacques Anouma (2004–2008)[2]
  • Amos Adamu (2008–2010)
  • Kwesi Nyantakyi (2011–present)

Member associations

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."[3][1]

  • 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.


Country Zone Governing body
 Cape Verde Zone A Cape Verdean Football Federation
 Gambia Gambia Football Association
 Guinea Guinean Football Federation
 Guinea-Bissau Football Federation of Guinea-Bissau
 Liberia Liberia Football Association
 Mali Malian Football Federation
 Mauritania Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania
 Senegal Senegalese Football Federation
 Sierra Leone Sierra Leone Football Association
 Benin Zone B Benin Football Federation
 Burkina Faso Burkinabé Football Federation
 Ghana Ghana Football Association
 Ivory Coast Ivorian Football Federation
 Niger Nigerien Football Federation
 Nigeria Nigeria Football Federation
 Togo Togolese Football Federation

Competitions

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

Competition Year Champions Title Runners-up Next edition
National teams (Men's)
WAFU Cup of Nations 2019  Senegal 1st  Ghana 2021
Zone A U-20 Championship 2020  Senegal 1st  Mali 2022
Zone B U-20 Championship 2020  Ghana 1st  Burkina Faso 2022
Zone A U-17 Championship 2018  Senegal 1st  Guinea 2021
Zone B U-17 Championship 2018  Nigeria 1st  Ghana 2021
National teams (Women's)
Zone A Women's Cup 2020  Senegal 2nd  Mali 2021
Zone B Women's Cup 2019  Nigeria 1st  Ivory Coast 2021

Defunct competitions
Competition Years
CEDEAO Cup1977–1991
West African Club Championship1977–2011
Amílcar Cabral Cup1979–2007
West African Nations Cup1982–1987
UEMOA Tournament2007–2016

FIFA world rankings

Men's national teams

Rankings are calculated by FIFA.[4]

WAFU FIFA Country Points +/−
1 20  Senegal 1546
2 35  Nigeria 1481 1
3 51  Ghana 1426
4 56  Ivory Coast 1392
5 59  Mali 1386 2
6 60  Burkina Faso 1378 1
7 77  Cape Verde 1319 1
8 78  Guinea 1317 4
9 82  Benin 1293 1
10 117  Sierra Leone 1167
11 123  Guinea-Bissau 1155
12 124  Togo 1140
13 152  Liberia 1047
14 166  Gambia 990

Last updated 24 October 2019

Top Ranked Men's National Football Teams

Senegal national football teamIvory coast national football teamGhana national football teamIvory coast national football teamCape verde national football teamIvory coast national football teamGhana national football teamNigeria national football teamIvory coast national football teamNigeria national football team

See also

References
  1. "Caf have split the West African Football Union into two separate zones". Goal.com. Goal.com. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  2. "Wafu Cup to make a comeback". BBC Sport. 29 September 2008. Retrieved 2 January 2010.
  3. "West African Football Union (Wafu) disbanded by Caf". British Broadcasting Corporation. BBC.co.uk. 17 May 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2012.
  4. "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking (Men) - CAF Region". FIFA. 4 June 2015.
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