West African Football Academy Sporting Club or WAFA for short, is a Ghanaian professional football club based near Sogakope in the Volta Region. 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]
 | |
| Full name | West African Football Academy Sporting Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | WAFA |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Ground | WAFA Stadium South Tongu District, Volta Region, Ghana |
| Capacity | 1,000 |
| Coordinates | 6°2′07″N 0°33′02″E / 6.03528°N 0.55056°E |
| Chairman |  Karel Brokken |
| Manager |  Prosper Nartey Ogum |
| Coach | Guillermo Hamdan Zaragoza |
| League | Ghana Premier League |
| 2021–22 | 16th |
| Website | Club website |
The club was founded in August 2014, as the Feyenoord Academy in Goma Fetteh, founded by Feyenoord from Rotterdam, and Red Bull Academy near Sogakope were merged.
History
Feyenoord Academy
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]
Red Bull Ghana
Founded in 2008, the academy associated with the team has gone on to produce coaches and players alike. The team reached the second highest league in Ghana in 2009.[7] Red Bull Ghana was relegated to Division Two in 2013.
Merger
In August 2014, Feyenoord Academy was rebranded to the name West African Football Academy.[8] 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.[9]
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | GK | GHA | Boliver Sarfo Owusu |
| 17 | DF | GHA | Ransford Darko |
| 19 | DF | GHA | Seidu Faisal |
| 22 | MF | GHA | Michael Danso Agyemang |
| 23 | GK | GHA | Sabi Acquah Ferdinand |
| 25 | DF | GHA | Konadu Yiadom (captain) |
| 28 | FW | GHA | Awudu Mohammed |
| 30 | DF | GHA | Razak Simpson |
| 32 | FW | GHA | Justus Torsutsey |
| 33 | MF | GHA | Derrick Mensah Antwi |
| 36 | FW | GHA | Issah Abdul Basit |
| 40 | GK | GHA | Kwadwo Bonsu |
Academy
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Club captains
- Jordan Opoku (2003) (2005–06)[10]
- Gideon Waja (2016–2017)[11]
- Mohammed Alhassan (2017–2018)[12][13]
- Ibrahim Abukari (2019–)[14]
Managerial history
Saddiq Abubakari (2018)[15]- Prosper Nartey Ogum (2020–present)
