... over Adamu, Nyantakyi's election
A leadership battle has emerged in the West African Football Union (Wafu) which could derail any revival plans of the beleaguered regional body. The election of a rival president on Saturday launched West Africa’s regional football governing body into utter chaos.

Nigeria’s Amos Adamu was elected unopposed as the new president by nine out of the 16 WAFU members in Accra, in a move to oust Ivorian Jacques Anouma. But another meeting in Abidjan maintained confidence in Anouma’s leadership, who was elected president of the organisation in 2004.

Nigeria, Mauritania, Mali, Benin, Ghana and Liberia showed up in Accra while Guinea, Niger and Togo appear to have sent representatives to both meetings. Supporters of the president of the Ivorian Football Federation have decided to report the splinter group to Fifa.

“In Abidjan it was decided that all the resolutions in Accra will be disregarded and FIFA will be informed of the conduct of CAF in backing Adamu,” a spokesman for Anouma, Ouattara Hegaud, said.

“Ivory Coast, Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Niger and Togo have agreed that a senior men’s competition will take place in June.”

The Adamu executive cited lack of activity for the decision to bring an abrupt end to Anouma’s rule and their move was backed by Caf, who sent a high-powered delegation.

Caf first vice-president General Seyi Memene said that Africa’s ruling body’s presence in Accra is legitimate.

“Caf’s presence in Accra is simple and statutory,” Memene said.

“In Khartoum at the last Caf Congress, it was agreed that CAF will send delegates to the General Assemblies of regional bodies. “Thirteen of the Wafu members decided last year to hold an Assembly here, hence why we are present.

“As far as I know there is no internal feud in WAFU.” Adamu dismissed the notion that there are factions in WAFU and has vowed to settle any existing differences.

“For personal reason, other members were unable to come to Accra,” Adamu said. “But we are talking to them and they know that we share the same ideas.” WAFU was founded in 1977 with an annual national team and club competitions but interest diminished in the early 1990s.

Recent hopes to revive it have failed and in one such attempt in 2002, players of Senegal, Sierra Leone and Gambia were held hostage for nine days in the Ivorian city Bouake after rebel soldiers attacked the city.

Despite boasting some of the illustrious football countries like Ghana, Nigeria and Ivory Coast, Wafu has struggled to attract sponsorship like its southern African counterparts, Cosafa. Yet three of Africa’s five World Cup finalists in Germany last year (Ivory Coast, Ghana and Togo) came from the region. Both Adamu and Anouma are members of the Executive Committees of Caf and Fifa.