2017 WAFU Cup of Nations
Tournament details
Host countryGhana
Dates9–24 September 2017
Teams16 (from 1 sub-confederation)
Venue(s)2 (in 2 host cities)
Final positions
Champions Ghana (2nd title)
Runners-up Nigeria
Third place Niger
Fourth place Benin
Tournament statistics
Matches played24
Goals scored44 (1.83 per match)
Top scorer(s)Ghana Stephen Sarfo
Niger Victorien Adebayor
(3 goals each)
Best player(s)Ghana Isaac Twum
Best goalkeeperNigeria Ikechukwu Ezenwa

The 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations (also referred to as Ghana 2017) was an association football tournament that took place in September 2017 in Ghana.

Sixteen teams from West Africa participated. The tournament was the first featuring national teams to be arranged by Fox Sports as part of a twelve year partnership between the broadcaster and the West Africa national football associations union.[1][2]

Originally, one of the two host cities was set to be Sekondi-Takoradi however the local organising committee changed it to Elmina due to "structural defects at the Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium and the danger it could pose to fans during the tournament".[3]

Participants

Squads

Draw

The draw was held on 27 July at Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.[4] Teams were ranked using the June 2017 FIFA Rankings. Ghana were given the highest ranking due to being competition hosts.[5]

The four highest ranked national teams from WAFU Zones A and B were seeded meaning they could not be drawn against each other.

Matches

  • All times listed are GMT.

First round

Zone A

Ghana 1–0 Gambia
  • Antigah 90+9' (pen.)
 Report
Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
Guinea 2–1 Guinea-Bissau
 Report
  • Correia 15'
Referee: Kouassi Fredéric Biro (Ivory Coast)
Mali 3–1 Mauritania
  • Konte 30'
  • Kone 88', 91'
 Report
  • Cheikh 36'
Referee: Daouda Gueye (Senegal)
Nigeria 2–0 Sierra Leone
 Report
Referee: Yanissou Bebou (Togo)

Zone B

Senegal 0–0 Liberia
Report
Penalties
5–4
Referee: Baba Léno (Guinea)
Burkina Faso 1–2 Niger
  • Dah 59'
 Report
Referee: Daniel Laryea (Ghana)
Ivory Coast 0–0 Togo
Report
Penalties
4–3
Referee: Baba Léno (Guinea)
Benin 2–0 Cape Verde
 Report
Referee: Jerry Yekeh (Liberia)

Second round

Group 1

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Ghana (H) 3 2 0 1 3 2 +1 6 Advance to semi-finals
2  Nigeria 3 1 2 0 2 0 +2 5
3  Mali 3 0 2 1 1 2 −1 2
4  Guinea 3 0 2 1 1 3 −2 2
Source: WAFU
(H) Hosts
Mali 0–0 Nigeria
Report
Referee: Kouassi Fredéric Biro (Ivory Coast)
Ghana 2–0 Guinea
 Report
Referee: Yanissou Bebou (Togo)
Guinea 0–0 Nigeria
Report
Referee: Daouda Gueye (Senegal)
Ghana 1–0 Mali
 Report
Referee: Jerry Yekeh (Liberia)
Guinea 1–1 Mali
  • Camara 7'
 Report
Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
Ghana 0–2 Nigeria
Report
Referee: Kouassi Fredéric Biro (Ivory Coast)

Group 2

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1  Benin 3 2 0 1 3 5 −2 6 Advance to semi-finals
2  Niger 3 1 1 1 3 3 0 4
3  Senegal 3 1 1 1 5 2 +3 4
4  Ivory Coast 3 0 2 1 0 1 −1 2
Source: WAFU
Senegal 1–2 Niger
  • Mbodj 61'
 Report
Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)
Ivory Coast 0–1 Benin
Report
Referee: Daniel Laryea (Ghana)
Niger 0–0 Ivory Coast
Report
Referee: Baba Léno (Guinea)
Senegal 4–0 Benin
 Report
Referee: Cecil Fleischer (Ghana)
Niger 1–2 Benin
 Report
Referee: Daniel Laryea (Ghana)
Senegal 0–0 Ivory Coast
Report
Referee: Cecil Fleischer (Ghana)

Knockout stage

Semi-finals

Benin 0–1 Nigeria
Report
Referee: Baba Léno (Guinea)
Ghana 2–0 Niger
 Report
Referee: Yanissou Bebou (Togo)

Third-place playoff

Niger 2–1 Benin
 Report
Referee: Boukari Ouedraogo (Burkina Faso)

Final

Ghana 4–1 Nigeria
 Report
Referee: Daouda Gueye (Senegal)[6]

Goalscorers

3 goals
2 goals
1 goal

Awards

Player of the tournament

Golden boot

Golden Glove

Best XI

The team of the tournament was announced on 27 September 2017.[8]

Goalkeeper Defenders Midfielders Forwards Substitutions
Nigeria Ikechukwu Ezenwa Ghana Thomas Abbey
Guinea Conde Aminata
Senegal Ablaye Diene
Nigeria Osas Okoro		 Niger Adebayor Zakari Adje
Nigeria Afeez Aremu
Benin Charbel Gomez
Ghana Isaac Twum		 Ghana Winful Cobbinah
Ghana Stephen Sarfo		 Ivory Coast Hortalien Ble Zadi (GK)
Nigeria Chima Akas
Guinea Abdoulaye Camara
Niger Boubacar Haini
Nigeria Adeleye Olamikelan
Niger Souleymane Sakou
Niger Daouda Yussif

Prize money

The prize was awarded in form of US dollars:[9]

Position Prize money (US Dollars)
Winner100,000
Runner-up50,000
Third place25,000
Fourth place10,000
Four losing semi-finalists10,000
Four second round finishers5,000

References

  1. ↑ Brookes, Nicholas (12 December 2016). "Media giant announces long-term partnership to improve West African soccer's infrastructure". SportsProMedia.com.
  2. ↑ "Goal, Fox Sports sign media partnership for WAFU Cup". SportBusiness Media. 2017-09-21. Retrieved 2021-08-17.
  3. ↑ WAFU CUP OF NATIONS (4 September 2017). "Tweet Number 904613256286932992". Twitter. Retrieved 4 September 2017. The LOC replaced Takoradi because of structural defects at the stadium and the danger it could pose to fans during the tournament. #WAFU2017
  4. ↑ "Ghana 2017 FoX Sports WAFU Cup of nations draw - Ghanaguardian.com". Ghanaguardian.com. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  5. ↑ "The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking - Ranking Table - FIFA.com". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
  6. ↑ "FIFA Referees News: 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations - Final". 24 September 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 "WAFU Cup: Ezenwa Named Best Goalkeeper As Ghana Stars Sweep Awards". Complete Sports. 24 September 2017.
  8. ↑ "Three Nigerians, Four Ghanaians Make WAFU Cup Best XI". Complete Sports. 27 September 2017.
  9. ↑ "REVEALED: $100,000 prize money for Wafu Tournament winner". Starr Sports. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
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