West African Football Academy (WAFA) SC.
Full nameWest African Football Academy Sporting Club
Founded23 October 1999 (23 October 1999)
GroundWAFA Stadium
South Tongu District, Volta Region, Ghana
Capacity1,000
Coordinates6°2′07″N 0°33′02″E / 6.03528°N 0.55056°E / 6.03528; 0.55056
ChairmanNetherlands Karel Brokken
ManagerGhana Prosper Nartey Ogum
CoachGuillermo Hamdan Zaragoza
LeagueGhana Premier League
2021–2216th
WebsiteClub website

West African Football Academy (WAFA) Sporting Club is a Ghanaian professional football club based near Sogakope in the Volta Region that was founded by Feyenoord from Rotterdam. They are competing in the Ghana Premier League. The 2016–17 season was a successful one for WAFA as the side finished second in the Premier League,[1] beating Hearts of Oak 5–0 along the way.[2]

History

Feyenoord's chairman Jorien van den Herik was given permission for the opening of Feyenoord's own football academy in the Ghanaian settlement of Gomoa Fetteh, just outside the capital Accra.[3] The go-ahead was given by the Chief of Fetteh in 1998 and the academy was opened in October 1999. At Feyenoord Academy, young talented African footballers could work on their football skills. In addition to helping their football potential the students were provided with formal education which was funded by Feyenoord.[3] The idea for Feyenoord's own football academy was formed in Abidjan.

Van den Herik signed the then still unknown Bonaventure Kalou and got into contact with the education institute at Kalou's club.[4] That same year the head of the education institute flew to Africa to take stock of the project and returned with a praising report. In January 1998, Feyenoord started its own Football School in Africa.[4]

Mohammed Abubakari was the first player that graduated from the academy and achieved a professional contract at Feyenoord.[5][6] Before Abubakari's move, Jordan Opoku spent some time at Excelsior and Antwerp before returning to Ghana.[7][8] In the buildup to the 2008–09 season, right-back Harrison Afful went on trial with Feyenoord, but was not offered a contract.

In August 2014, Feyenoord Academy was rebranded to the name West African Football Academy.[9] In the same year, the club took over the old Red Bull Academy near Sogakope and moved from their old location in Gomoa Fetteh to this new location in the Volta Region.[10]

Current squad

As of 1 January 2021

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Ghana GHA Anthony Brebo
3 DF Ghana GHA John Tedeku
4 MF Ghana GHA Derrick Mensah
6 MF Burkina Faso BFA Faad Sana
7 FW Ghana GHA Godwin Agbevor
8 MF Ghana GHA Ransford Appah
9 FW Ghana GHA Marvin Owusu
10 MF Ghana GHA Augustine Boakye
11 MF Ghana GHA Emmanuel Agyeman Ofori
12 DF Ghana GHA Francis Boateng
13 FW Ghana GHA Emmanuel Agyemang
14 FW Ghana GHA Eric Asamany
15 DF Ghana GHA Mohammed Karim Samed Abdul
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 GK Ghana GHA Boliver Sarfo Owusu
17 DF Ghana GHA Ransford Darko
19 DF Ghana GHA Seidu Faisal
22 MF Ghana GHA Michael Danso Agyemang
23 GK Ghana GHA Sabi Acquah Ferdinand
25 DF Ghana GHA Konadu Yiadom (captain)
28 FW Ghana GHA Awudu Mohammed
30 DF Ghana GHA Razak Simpson
32 FW Ghana GHA Justus Torsutsey
33 MF Ghana GHA Derrick Mensah Antwi
36 FW Ghana GHA Issah Abdul Basit
40 GK Ghana GHA Kwadwo Bonsu

Academy

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Togo TOG Josue Doke

Club captains

Managerial history

  • Ghana Saddiq Abubakari (2018)[16]

Satellite clubs

The following clubs are affiliated with Feyenoord Gomoa Fetteh:

Seasons

2020 -21 West African Football Academy season

References

  1. ↑ "Ghana Premier League Standings". FIFA. Archived from the original on December 28, 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  2. ↑ "WAFA massacre Hearts". 5 June 2017. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 "Feyenoord Worldwide". Feyenoord Rotterdam.
  4. 1 2 "Feyenoord Worldwide". Feyenoord Rotterdam. Archived from the original on 23 January 2013.
  5. ↑ "Player Profile Mohammed Abubakari". GhanaWeb.
  6. ↑ "Ghanaian midfielder Mohammed Abubakari has joined the Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam". BBC Sport. 17 February 2006.
  7. ↑ "Jordan Opoku (Excelsior)". Voetbal International.
  8. ↑ "Antwerp FC 04–05". EUFO.
  9. ↑ Fetteh Feyenoord Academy changes name to WAFA SC
  10. ↑ "WAFA FC to switch home base to Sogakope for Premier League". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  11. ↑ "Jordan Opoku - Soccer Player - Dinamo Tirana". www.ghanaweb.com. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  12. ↑ torontofc. "Gideon Waja | Toronto FC". torontofc. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  13. ↑ "Hearts of Oak sign Mohammed Alhassan in four-year deal". Goal. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "Hearts of Oak MD Mark Noonan hints at 'more quality signings' after Mohammed Alhassan deal". GhanaSoccernet. 2018-12-06. Retrieved 2021-08-20.
  15. ↑ "WAFA SC announce squad and jersey numbers for 2019/20 season- Abukari Ibrahim named captain". GhanaSoccernet. 2019-12-28. Retrieved 2021-07-13.
  16. ↑ "Who is Saddiq Abubakari, The Head Coach Of WAFA SC?". 442 GH. 2018-09-28. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  17. ↑ Stage de préparation au Ghana: Une aventure positive


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