WAFU to boost schools' soccer

Accra, May 22, GNA - The West African Football Union (WAFU) will boost school soccer in the sub region with the reintroduction of inter schools football competitions, popularly called academicals football. Alhaji Sly Tetteh, a member of the WAFU Executive Committee in charge of competitions said in their determination to raise the standard of football in the sub region to dominate on the continent, it was imperative to go to the grassroots and nurture the abundance of talents that spill over.

He said a sure way of tapping youthful talent was to engender school competitions in addition to others that would be announced after an important meeting scheduled for next month to shape the calendar of activities for the rest of the year and next year.

The WAFU executive committee member named other competition which would dot the sub regional calendar as "A" team matches, youth category tournaments, clubs competitions and women's football.

He said the dynamism of the current President, Dr. Amos Adamu, coupled with his wide connections with the business community would heighten the activities of the Association and give soccer in the sub region a pace of accelerated development.

Alhaji Tetteh said a new lease of life for the regional competitions would be attractive prizes for distinctive performers to encourage a stiff competition, albeit in the spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood.

He said though the competitions would re-enact the high level of rivalry that existed between nations in the sub region, they would generate the desired excitement associated with football development. The executive committee member tasked the media to play a major role in the success of WAFU programmes by harping on the positive sides of competitions, which include fostering of bonds of friendship between the youth of the various countries.

He said the new WAFU leadership would work hard to ensure that hooliganism and all anti social trends would be eliminated from its organisation to give the competitions a friendly aura that would overflow into other spheres of life in the region. 22 May 07