WHY HAYATOU DISBANDED WAFU

Fresh facts emerged yesterday on why the West African Football Union (WAFU) was disbanded and split into two by CAF. The decision, which was described as bizarre was taken at the CAF Executive Committee meeting in Cairo on Monday has ended the tenure of the interim body of the regional body.

The move orchestrated by CAF's President, Issa Hayatou, is seen by many WAFU members as a measure to weaken the regional body which was growing in influence.

Hayatou's allies, Amos Adamu and Anjorin Moucharafou, who were then in charge, had tried desperately hard to stay in charge of WAFU but members booted their administration last month.

This came quickly after many of Hayatou's allies lost executive committee elections in Sudan in March, signalling that the Cameroonian could lose the next CAF elections.

Anjorin, a strong Hayatou's ally, was throroughly thrashed by Nyantakyi at the CAF elections.

A CAF statement said the move was being made 'considering the organisational issues that face WAFU' and that the region would be divided into two.

But the crass move to disband WAFU will rather kill regional football in West Africa rather than enhancing it.

WAFU was being run by an interim committee, led by Ghana's FA President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, pending CAF's review of the regional bodies.

The previous president of WAFU, Amos Adamu of Nigeria is appealing against a three-year suspension from football for allegedly seeking bribes during 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding.

The WAFU Cup has just been completed in Abeokuta in Nigeria, where the host was beaten in the final by Togo. The region will be split into two areas - Western Zone A and Western Zone B.

Zone A encompasses Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone. Zone B features Benin, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and Togo.