Nigerian Football
WAFU Rolls Back to Life as Nigeria, Ghana Renew Rivalry
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
The WAFU Nations Cup which was scuttled by the immediate past CAF regime of Issa Hayatou has now been resuscitated. This follows a draw ceremony on Thursday at Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana. Nigeria, Ghana, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Mauritania and Guinea Bissau are drawn in Group A of the competition which final competition will hold in Ghana from September 9 to 24 this year. Group A teams will play in Takoradi.
In Group B are Senegal, Liberia, Burkina Faso, Niger Republic, Togo, Benin Republic Cote d’Ivoire and Cape Verde.
The Group B teams will play in Cape Coast. Like in the previous edition, the teams will feature only players in their domestic competitions.
The revived competition adopted a unique format that will see teams play single games before proceeding to the quarter finals. Nigeria will face Sierra Leone.
The competition suffered a premature death when on May 16, 2011 the Executive Committee of CAF in Cairo split the largest sub-regional football body in Africa into two thus administering a deadly pill on WAFU Cup that had been running for some time.
Contrary to wide held belief that the sub regional body was founded in 1975, the body has it origin in March 1959 when it came into existence as West Africa Football Federation (WAFF).
At the time, football associations from 16 West African countries, including Cameroon met in Accra for the football conference that led to the formation of WAFF and a competition for the Kwame Nkrumah Gold Cup which replaced the annual Jalco Cup competed by Nigeria and Ghana.
Reginald Banham Allen popularly called Derby Allen along with Effiom Okon represented Nigeria at the inauguration of WAFF, the fore-runner of WAFU.
The body adopted zonal groupings which pitched Nigeria with Cameroon, Dahomey (now Benin Republic) and Togo.
Nigeria’s Effiom Okon unsuccessfully proposed that zonal groupings be replaced with ballot system to avoid monotony of the same teams meeting every time.
The British president of Nigeria Football Association, Reginald Allen was elected as one of the two vice presidents of WAFF. About six years later, WAFF collapsed and was re-established as WAFU on September 7, 1975 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
But 36 years later, life was snuffed out of the largest sub regional body in Africa.
THE DRAW
GROUP A
Ghana Vs The Gambia
Nigeria Vs Sierra Leone
Mali Vs Mauritania
Guinea Vs Guinea Bissau
GROUP B
Senegal Vs Liberia
Burkina Faso Vs Niger Republic
Cote d’Ivoire Vs Togo
Benin Republic Vs Cape Verde
Remo Stars on Saturday made it two straight wins in the Nigeria Premier League after labouring to a 1-0 defeat of Sunshine Stars of Akure to follow-up their last weekend 2-0 away win over Abia Warriors.
On Saturday, under eight minutes they shot ahead through Shuaibu Ibrahim. That was where the story ended as Sunshine Stars came up strongly and almost stalemated scores.
The win, though narrow, is enough to temporarily take Remo Stars to the top of the log after two games.
They are followed by Rivers United who beat Heartland 3-1. It is the second consecutive 3-1 loss that Heartland are getting in the two-week old season.
The situation could change on Sunday when other matches are played.
On the card are: Akwa United hosting Abia Warriors while Kano Pillars will be away to Bayelsa United.
Katsina United host Bendel Insurance and Niger Tornadoes will be home to Nasarawa United. Shooting Stars will host Plateau United.
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, who was in Arnhem, Netherlands.
Former Nigeria manager, Clemens Westerhof has recommended one of his former players, Samson Siasia as the substantial coach for the Super Eagles.
Siasia was one of his players of the famed golden generation of the Super Eagles.
“I called him last month to greet him for his birthday and also to celebrate with him for the end of his five-year ban”, Westerhof told Sports Village Square at his house in Arnhem in the Netherlands.
According to him, Siasia is just like Keshi and that he has the capacity to turn the Super Eagles around for the better. Westerhof, the author of the famed ‘Golden Generation’ of the Super Eagles made his suggestion shortly after Germany’s Bruce Labbadia turned down the Nigerian job offer.
Westerhof remarked that he was surprised about the choice of Labbadia in the first instance and that the now Mali coach, Tom Saintfiet who is his friend could have been a better choice.
Saintfiet, a Belgian, was speculated among the coaches initially short-listed for the Super Eagles’ job. But Westerhof, before the naming of Austin Eguavoen, another member of his famous 1994 squad, strongly back Siasia for the job.
He remarked that he was in touch with the former striker as well as Austin Okocha whom he met with in London recently.
To Westerhof, Siasia has the same quality like Stephen Keshi to handle the Super Eagles. “He has done it before and I think he can still do it.”
The balls hit the nets 17 times this Sunday as the Nigeria Premier League Season 2024/25 burst into life this Sunday.
The first of the goals was from Plateau United’s Olawale Doyeni who converted a 24th minute penalty kick against Katsina United in an eventual 1-0 home win.
Another star-man of the the day is Enyimba’s Clinton Jephta who has become the season’s first hat-trickster. His three goals in the 65th , 70th and 73rd minutes sank heartland 3-1 in their home match.
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