Liberia to Host WAFU ‘A’ Elective Congress
“Having lots of portfolios sometimes makes you ineffective,” says LFA president Mustapha Raji.
— Raji not seeking presidency
A little over two years after the previous general assembly of the West African Football Union (WAFU) Zone A was held in Dakar, Senegal, Liberia has been announced as the host of the 2022 WAFU A General Assembly.
WAFU is an association of the football playing nations in West Africa. It was the brainchild of the Senegal Football Federation who requested that the nations belonging to CAF’s Zone A and B meet and hold a regular competitive tournament. The union organises several competitions including the WAFU Nations Cup, U17, U15 and U20 championships, and the recent CAF Women’s Champions League qualifiers.
The assembly will be held in Monrovia on June 25. WAFU’s Acting-president and President of the Liberia Football Association (LFA), Mustapha Raji, made the disclosure at a recent press conference held in Monrovia.
Raji was elected 1st Vice President of the sub-regional football governing body on October 12, 2019, and eventually assumed the position of presidency on December 8, 2021, from former President Mamadou Antonio Souaré whom he defeated at the CAF Congress in Morocco March of 2019.
This was in keeping with Article 19, paragraph 8 of the WAFU A statutes, which states: “if the president loses his position as President of his National Association, he automatically loses the position of president of the zone and is replaced by the 1st vice president.’’ Interestingly, Raji who was tipped as the favorite to be elected as president, will not contest the presidency.
“The current position I hold as President of WAFU is temporary until we can conduct an election.
“I do not intend to become its president. I am a member of the CAF Executive committee. Having lots of portfolios sometimes makes you ineffective,” Raji told Daily Observer.
Raji was elected as a CAF Exco member on March 12, 2021 at the 43rd ordinary and elective general assembly by defeating Guinea Football Federation President Mamadou Antonio Souaré by 37 to 14 votes for the WAFU Zone ‘A’ slot.
Souaré, who was earlier disqualified from contesting, was later cleared by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on 11 March. It is still unclear whether Raji will recontest for the 1st Vice President position.