Africa: Kurt Okraku Re-Elected As WAFU B President
Kurt Okraku has been retained as the President of the West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone B following the regional body’s Elective General Assembly on Saturday.
Okraku, who is also the President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), was re-elected unopposed for his first full term of office following the event in Abidjan.
No other nominations for the position had been received by the set deadline .
The Ghanaian took charge of the regional body last year following the decision of Djibrilla Hima Hamidou of Niger to step down in May 2021.
His election on Saturday means the 51-year-old will retain his position until 2026.
Several dignitaries including the Sports minister of Cote d’Ivoire Paulin Claude Danho, CAF General Secretary , Veron Mosengo-Omba, Ivorian FA president Yacine Idriss Diallo and CAF Presidential Adviser Jacques Anouma were in attendance at the event in the Ivorian capital.
New Nigeria FA President Ibrahim Gusau, CAF Executive Committee members Sita Sangare and Hamidou as well as legends Daniel Amokachi of Nigeria, former Ivorian goalkeeper Alain Gouamene and former Burkina Faso captain Boureima Balima were also present.
Togo FA president Colonel Kossi Akpovy was also retained as the first Vice-President as he also stood unopposed just as Lazare Bansse, who became the second Vice-President.
Okraku will lead WAFU B as it goes through a critical period of invigorating its competitions and reviving some of its defunct competitions.
“I want to thank our members for reposing the trust in me to lead this very important zonal body into the near future with challenges and so much promise,” Okraku said in his acceptance speech during Saturday’s meeting.
“Over the past one year we have organised competitions and training programmes aimed at making WAFU B strong in all areas of football.
“Together with my colleagues we have decided to revive some of our former competitions like the clubs’ championship and make the Wafu B Cup of Nations stronger.
“We will also organise events including a new awards programme to honour players from our region who are making us proud on the pitch.
“There will be more training programmes for administrators, referees, medics and media within the region to help uplift the game in other areas too.”
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The WAFU B leaders revealed that they will be embarking on an aggressive marketing campaign to bring more funding to the body apart from monies received from CAF and FIFA that helps them to run their activities.
“We will work together to make WAFU B better. We will work within the zone to ensure that we bring extra funding to the zonal body,” he said.
“It is time for us to work – from the staff, the legends, the executives – to bring corporate organisations within the region on board to sponsor our existing competitions and the new competitions to be created or revived.
“While we thank CAF and FIFA for the financial support they have given us, we can’t rest on our laurels so we have to bring in marketing experts to help us reach our targets.”
Mr Mosengo-Omba praised Okraku for his leadership and revealed that CAF will continue to support regional bodies to help them to become more independent.
“The endorsements of President Okraku by members in the zone shows that he has worked hard and has won the confidence of his colleagues who have given him the greenlight to continue,” the CAF General secretary told the meeting.
“We have been providing the support for the regional bodies and we want to continue by helping them to do more in the regions to accelerate the development of the game.
“WAFU B is a strong and important member of CAF and as the host of the next AFCON here in Cote d’Ivoire you will play a very important role to ensure a successful AFCON.”
Okraku will stay in the position until October 2026.
