Togo won 2011 WAFU Cup
The second edition of the WAFU Cup tournament which was originally meant to be an eight nation championship ended up with just five countries in attendance.
Liberia, Ghana, Niger, eventual champions Togo and hosts Nigeria competed at this year’s tournament after last year's runners up, Senegal withdrew as Mali and Gambia. This development forced a rearrangement and rescheduling of the entire programme.
With the late withdrawals, the organisers were left with three teams in Group A made up of Liberia, Niger and Nigeria while Group B was left with just Togo and Ghana.
Samson Siasia
Nigeria coach, Samson Siasia, has told MTNFootball.com that his team were far from prepared to defend the WAFU Nations Cup.
The Super Eagles ‘B’ team were upstaged 3-2 by Togo in the final of the sub-regional WAFU Cup at the weekend.
“If we base our performance in this competition on honesty and facts, I think we were not prepared for this competition,” Siasia said.
“We need time to knock these boys into the desired level. We did not prepare for this competition and we still played in the final. That to me is commendable even though the boys had their off day on Saturday and couldn’t perform up to expectation.
Zakari Morou
The captain of the
Togo team that beat Nigeria 3:2 to win the second edition of the WAFU Cup on Saturday, Zakari Morou, has put his team's triumph down to overconfidence by the former champions.
Morou reckoned that the Super Eagles stunning semi-final win over Ghana was seen by the Nigerians as the final hurdle, insisting Togo were not considered a threat.
"The Nigerian team did not play us like they did against Ghana. They felt we are 'small boys' they can beat easily and that cost them the game."
Complete Sports quotes Morou as saying.
"They saw the semi-final against Ghana as the ultimate challenge which they had overcome. In fact I wonder whether they trained for this final. They were so proud.
Bartholomew Ibenegbu
Three players were tied at the summit of the top scorers' chart at the end of the second West African Football Union [WAFU] Cup tournament in Abeokuta on Saturday.
Togo's brilliant playmaker Atakora Lalawele joined the Nigerian duo of Bartholomew Ibenegbu and Ekigho Ehiosun as top scorers of the event after netting four times each.
Lalawele was the star of Togo's impressive semi-final and final wins, scoring twice in each game and setting up two more goals. The Hawks beat Liberia 4:2 in the semis and bested
Nigeria 3:2 in the final.
Ibenegbu struck twice in Nigeria's 4:0 win over Niger in their second group game, before repeating the feat in yesterday's final against Togo.
Togo are WAFU Cup Champions
The Sparrow Hawks of
Togo have won the second
West African Football Union [WAFU] Cup after beating hosts and holders Nigeria 3:2 in a thrilling final in Abeokuta,
Nigeria.
Togo star Atakora Lalawele and Nigeria's Bartholomew Ibenegbu both bagged braces, while Wome Dove also scored for the new champions. The tournament which involves national teams in the west African region is mostly for players who ply their trade in their various national leagues.
Both teams were reduced to ten men, with Nigeria's Gege Toriola receiving a straight red card for a rash tackle in the 33rd minute and Sadate Ouro-Akoriko following suit 12 minutes into the second half.
Liberia
Liberia beat wasteful
Ghana 3:1 in the third place match of the second
WAFU Cup tournament at the MKO Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta on Saturday.
Ghana, who won the third place position in the inaugural event last year, had more than enough opportunities to beat the Lone Stars, but failed to convert their chances. They were made to rue their sloppiness by the clinical Liberians who struck twice in the first half before finishing the job in the second period.
Samuel Thompson drew first bolood within the first ten minutes and gangly striker Patrick Wleh made it 2:0 after controlling a free kick into the box and shooting past Daniel Agyei in the Ghana goal.
The second
WAFU Cup tournament reaches its final day at the MKO Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta, Nigeria.
Third place match -
Ghana v
Liberia - 14:00
Final -
Nigeria v
Togo - 16:30
Ghana - Full squad 1 Daniel Agyei, 15 Kwaku Andoh, 13 Joshua Otto, 3 Edward Kpodo, 7 Aziz Ibrahim, 6 Osei Quincy, 5 Bright Nsiah, 17 Akowuah Malik, 14 Asamoah Nathaniel, 9 Adams Sadick, 11 Awako Gladson, 4 Gyamfi Daniel, 12 Sabato Mohammed, 2 Gyimah Edwin, 10 Baffour Emmanuel, 18 Atiah Sumaila, 8 Yakubu Mohammed, 16 Addo Joseph - Coach: David Duncan
Julius Ubido of Nigeria
The Super Eagles of
Nigeria meet the Sparrow Hawks of
Togo in the final of the West African Football Union [WAFU] Cup at the MKO Abiola International Stadium in Abeokuta today, in a clash guaranteed to be explosive.
It is without doubt a clash between the best two teams of the tournament this year and fans are in for a thrill as the predatory birds wing it.
The Togolese are arguably the most exciting side in Abeokuta so far and not a few will say the outright best side.
They have produced the most scintillating football and the most memorable moments of the tournament.
Gege Soriola
Nigeria coach, Samson Siasia, has dubbed Heartland stopper Gege Soriola as his revelation of the
2011 WAFU Nations Cup and backs him to force his way into the Super Eagles main team.
Soriola was a tower of strength as Nigeria fought from behind to beat arch-rivals Ghana and qualify for Saturday’s final of the sub-regional WAFU Cup in Abeokuta, near Lagos. Appreciative fans in Abeokuta have already begun to compare Soriola with the legendary ‘Gentle Giant Uche Okechukwu.
We have been struggling most especially in the central defence, but from what he did against Ghana, he has raised my hope that at least we have somebody who is working very hard to get into the main Super Eagles team.
Tchanile Tchaklala
Nigeria defeated
Ghana 2-1 Thursday to reach the final of the second
West Africaan Football Union Cup final in Abeokuta, South West Ngeria.
Super Eagles coach, Samson Siasia spoke with CAFONLINE.COM after the match.
CAFONLNE.COM: What your assessment of your players’ performances against the Black Stars of Ghana?
Coach Samson Siasia: I think my players did very well, having to come from behind to win this game. It was a massive victory. I feel happy for them. This tournament has given me the opportunity to work closely with Nigerian-based players and I think they have done well so far.
RSS Feed