UFOA Organises Regional Tournament in Honour of Mawade Wade
The Union of West African Football Associations (UFOA) has announced the organisation of a regional football tournament from December 5 to 7, 2014, in Saly, a coastal resort town in Senegal. The event, held in memory of the late Mawade Wade—a renowned Senegalese football expert and long-time contributor to the Confederation of African Football (CAF)—will gather four national teams from the region.
The matches will take place at the Caroline Faye Stadium in Mbour, with Senegal, Gambia, Mali, and Guinea-Bissau set to compete. According to the draw conducted at the launch, Mali will face Guinea-Bissau in the first semi-final, while Senegal will take on Gambia in the second.
The semi-finals are scheduled for December 5, and the tournament will conclude on December 7 with the third-place match and the final.
While the initiative has been welcomed, the absence of five member nations—Guinea, Cape Verde, Mauritania, Sierra Leone, and Liberia—has been notable. According to UFOA Secretary General Jammeh Sagna, the withdrawal of these countries is largely due to concerns surrounding the Ebola outbreak that has affected parts of West Africa.
Despite the reduced number of participants, organisers remain committed to ensuring the tournament’s success. Senegal’s Technical Director of Football, Mayacine Mar, who is also a member of UFOA, stressed the importance of enhancing the visibility of the organisation’s initiatives. “We will have to think about how to ensure that the activities of the UFOA are as visible as possible,” he said.
This tribute tournament not only honours the legacy of a respected figure in African football but also serves as a platform to promote regional football collaboration in challenging times.
