5th May, 2011
The city of Abeokuta in Ogun State, Nigeria started bubbling from today as the West African Football Union, WAFU, Nations Cup kicked off this afternoon.
The competition, designed for home-based players in the West African sub-region will light up the Rock City for the next ten days at the astro turf of the M.K.O. Abiola International Stadium.
Players and officials of participating teams except Mali, have arrived in the city in anticipation of a keenly contested championship. Officials of the Local Organising Committee, LOC were seen holding various meeting early today to ensure a hitch free opening ceremony this afternoon before the first match between Nigeria’s home-based Eagles and the national team of Liberia. Mali, who were earlier slated to play Nigeria in the opening game were still being expected at the venue. Accreditation of players, officials and sports journalists for the event went on smoothly, while the crew of the cable television network, SuperSport are on ground perfecting their equipment in readiness for the opening ceremony and kick off.
P.M.Sports, however, observed that the LOC has not done much in the area of publicity for the WAFU Cup. There are no adverts in the newspapers and no commercials in local radio and television stations to sensitise the sports loving people of Ogun State about the tournament.
—Sunday Akintoye