Accra, Aug. 13, GNA – Kwesi Nyantakyi, President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA) was on Saturday elected President of the Western Zone ‘B’ Football Union at its Extraordinary Congress.
Nyantakyi was unanimously elected at the zonal union by delegates at the session attended by representatives of 16-affiliated national associations.
The development ensures the GFA President remains the head of the seven-member zone following the split of the defunct West Africa Football Union (WAFU) by the Executive Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at its meeting in conformity with its statutes.
The session also approved the Statutes of the two zones as well as the composition of the Executive Committees.
On the composition of the Executive Committee, the delegates approved that the Presidents of the respective national associations should make up the Committee.
For the Western Zone ‘A’, Jose Lobato (Guinea-Bissau) will serve as 1st Vice President, Musa Bility (Liberia) as 2nd Vice President, Hammadoun Cisse (Mali) as 3rd Vice President with representatives of Cape Verde, Guinea, Gambia, Mauritania and Sierra Leone completing the list.
The Western Zone B has Theodore Sawadogo (Burkina Faso) as the 1st Vice President, Aminu Maigari (Nigeria) as 2nd Vice President, Djibrilla Hima Hamidou (Niger) as 3rd Vice President including representatives from Benin, Cote d’Ivoire and Togo constituting the Executive Committee.
The congress also approved that Western Zone A will have its secretariat in Banjul, Gambia, and that of Western Zone B in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
CAF President Issa Hayatou in a message read on his behalf pledged to support the two unions in terms of organizing competitions at the grassroots - youth and women’s football.
Nyantakyi on behalf of the new executives pledged that they would partner the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in developing football on the continent.
Of the 16 countries, Benin was the notable absentee.
Also present were CAF 2nd Vice President, Almamy Kabele Camara and CAF Vice President, General Seyi Memene.
Nyantakyi was the interim head of WAFU prior to its segregation into Western Zone A and B.
Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone constitute Western Zone A whilst Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, Ghana, Niger, Nigeria and Togo make up Western Zone B.
At the Congress, Senegalese Augustin Senghor was also elected President of Western Zone.