Wafu Cup gathers momentum

A regional football tournament that is organised by the The West African Football Union (Wafu) is gathering momentum as the host country, Nigeria, sweat to ensuring a hitch-free competition that is making a come back since 2004.

The hosts will be joined by under-20 sides from The Gambia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin Republic, Niger, Senegal, Cape Verde, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia, for the two-week tournament scheduled between November 30 to December 14, 2008,  in Delta State in southern Nigeria.

The members of the Local Organising Committee, who have been touring the facilities hosting the matches, have so far expressed their satisfaction over the state of Nigeria’s preparedness to host the competition which primarily meant to develop youth football in the continent.

A 8,000 capacity stadium situated in Ogwashi-Ukwu, Delta State and named after the former Super Eagles captain Austin Okocha is one of the venues ready to host the matches of the twelve-team tournament.

And the members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC) were impressed with the quality of the turf, the sitting and security arrangement, and the willingness of the Ogwashi-Ukwu people to watch the matches.

The LOC members were also taken to the mini-stadium in Oghara where renovation work towards ensuring a hitch-free competition had reached advanced stage with most members impressed with the lush green turf in the stadium.

Other stadiums visited by the LOC members include the Oleh and Ughelli stadia with the Executive chairman of the Delta State Sports Commission Amaju Pinnick stating categorically that all the facilities required to making the championship a competition that West African football nations would cherish when they return to their respective countries.

Amaju revealed further that the Delta State government was using the Wafu Cup competition to test-run the preparedness of the facilities, hotels, security for the under-17 World Cup tournament, which Nigeria will be hoping next year.