ACTUALITE |
25.08.2001
West African event under threat again
West Africa`s club championship could be postponed for the second successive year because most of the 16 member states in the West African Football Union (Wafu) have failed to pay their subscriptions, while the organisation still searches for sponsorship.
The Ivorian secretary-general of Wafu, Aka Malan, said the body had not yet found sponsors to run this year`s 25th edition of the championship, which was introduced in 1977.
Malan said he had agreed in principle with potential sponsors in South Africa and Britain on new funding to revive the West African Nations Cup, but this year`s event was still likely to be delayed.
In the past four years, Wafu`s search for sponsors has been fruitless, despite approaching companies in the UK, South Africa and the USA.
Still searching
The semi-final play-offs of the 2000 competition were to have been played in Lome, Togo, in December, but were delayed when the Togolese authorities declined to stage the games at the last minute because of a lack of funds.
Nigerian sides Udoji United and Niger Tornadoes, and Sierra Leonean club Ports Authority, were due to join hosts Dynamic Togolais in Lome last year.
Wafu are still searching for a sponsor to provide the CFA20m ($28,000) prize money for those finals, as well as money for this year now.
Malan said: "Apart from Mauritania, Ghana and Togo, all the other countries owe money."
The cash-strapped body, based in the Ivory Coast capital, Abidjan, tried giving the championship a boost in 1998 when the head of state the trophy was named after, Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, awarded US$20,000 for the semi-finalists.
Not paid
In 1999, the finals were played, but the CFA20m prize money has not been paid.
The winners, ASFA Yennenga of Burkina Faso, are still waiting for half that money while runners-up Stade Abidjan of Ivory Coast were due to pick up CFA7m, with CFA3m going to third-placed JS Tenere of Niger.
The Wafu Cup is played by the 16 West African countries whose club sides had finished third and fourth respectively in their various leagues.
It was supposed to be a stage for clubs who could not qualify for the continental Champions Cup and Cup Winners Cup but had increasingly suffered from withdrawals even before the full extent of the financial problems emerged.
|
|
Hits: 1 | Source:BBC | |
|
|
|
|
| |