In a meeting with Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1958 Mr Ohene Djan, chairman of the Ghana Amateur Football Association,
announced the intention of his association to compete in the Olympic Games. Dr Nkrumah encouraged this and
pointed out that he thought it would be a good idea to institute a regional competition for West Africa,
promising that he would donate a gold cup as the trophy for such a competition.
Mr Djan visited Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, and the Ivory Coast to garner support for the idea, and on
Saturday 28th March 1959, at the Ambassador Hotel in Accra, a conference was held with the aim of establishing
a West African federation, the main purpose of which was to administer the competition for the Nkrumah Gold Cup.
The conference was opened by Dr Nkrumah himself, and was presided over by Mr Kojo Botsio, president of the G.A.F.A.
Ghana was represented by Mr Jellico Quaye and Mr Sam Blankson, as well as Mr Djan and Mr Botsio, while overseas
delegates included Mr François Chablis, Mr Raymond Sienner and Mr Benjamin Monnou of Dahomey, Mr Theodore Magna
of Cameroon, Mr Eben Thomas of Gambia, Mr Jean Bléhouet and Mr Yamga Mathurin of Ivory Coast,
Mr Reginald B. 'Darby' Allen and Mr Efiom Edem Okon of Nigeria, Mr Mohamed Abderrahmane of Mauritania,
Mr Soumah Sékou of Guinea, Mr Rito Alcantara and Mr Edouard Goraieb of Senegal, Dr Jorge Tavares Sousa
of Portuguese Guinea, Mr E.B. Williams of Sierra Leone, and Mr Amorin and Mr Placcas of Togo.
Liberia was represented by an observer from the Liberian embassy.
The result of the conference was the West African Soccer Federation. Dr Kwame Nkrumah was elected as life patron, and Mr Kojo Botsio as president. Mr R.B. Allen of Nigeria and Mr Rito Alcantara of Senegal were named vice presidents, and Mr Ohene Djan was elected secretary-treasurer. Four zonal representatives were also elected as follows: Mr Amorin (Togo, Zone A), Mr Jean Bléhouet (Ivory Coast, Zone B), Mr Soumah Sékou (Guinea, Zone C), and Dr Jorge Tavares Sousa (Portuguese Guinea, Zone D). It was decided that the headquarters would be at Accra. Five additional countries were included: Fernando Póo (now Equatorial Guinea), Niger, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), French Sudan (now Mali), and Cape Verde.
The preliminary rounds of the competition were arranged zonally for geographical convenience:
The Nkrumah Gold Cup is not to be confused with the Osagyefo Cup (a trophy also donated by Dr Nkrumah) which became the prize for the African Champions' Cup (for clubs, not national teams).
Ed. Year Winners Runners-up Venue of finals 1 1959-60 Ghana Sierra Leone Ghana 2 1960 Ghana Nigeria Nigeria 3 1961-63 Ghana Mali Ghana 4 1966-67 presumably abandoned
Qualifying Tournament (incomplete)
Zone A Semifinal
- -1959 Dahomey 2-0 Togo
- -1959 Togo 1-2 Dahomey
Nigeria received a bye (presumably Cameroon withdrew)
Zone A Final
8-11-1959 Dahomey 0-1 Nigeria [at Cotonou]
[Albert Onyeanwuna]
28-11-1959 Nigeria 10-1 Dahomey [at Lagos]
[Elkanah Onyeali x4, Abudu Buraimoh x2, Albert Onyeanwuna x2, Daniel Okwudili, Dejo Fayemi / ?]
Zone B
Ghana qualified
One of the matches in this zone may have been Ghana 8-1 Niger, but this has not been confirmed.
Zone C
Sierra Leone qualified
Zone D
Portuguese Guinea qualified. The only known results in this zone are:
20-12-1959 Gambia 3-2 Cape Verde [at Bathurst]
- 1-1960 Port. Guinea 3-2 Gambia
Final Tournament, held in Ghana
Semifinals
31- 1-1960 Sierra Leone 4-3 Portuguese Guinea [at Kumasi]
[Edward Keister 33' 36', Gbatieh Davies 35', Steven Bio 78' / Nhartanga 44', Tato 62' pen, Adão 80']
31- 1-1960 Ghana w/o Nigeria
Note: Nigeria did not show up; the second semifinal was replaced with an exhibition, Ghana
winning 6-1 vs a team of combined reserves from the 3 countries present.
Final
7- 2-1960 Ghana 6-2 Sierra Leone [at Accra]
[C.K.Gyamfi 35' 40' 75', Fred Akuffo 55', Edward Acquah 59' 60' / Weah Sawyerr 43', Steven Bio 72']
[Ghana: Laryea; Oblitey, Mensah; Appiah, Dogo Moro, Aikins; Baba Yara,
Gyamfi [c], Acquah, Aggrey-Fynn, Akuffo.]
[Sierra Leone: Turay; Pratt [c], Cole; Kamara, Morris, Rowe; Sawyerr,
Keister, Davies, Sesay, Bio.]
Ghana squad (a.k.a. "the Black Star Group"):
Goalkeepers:
Addoquaye Laryea (Accra Hearts of Oak)
A.R. Kassum (Sekondi Hasaacas)
Full-backs:
Emmanuel Oblitey (Accra Olympics)
Attu Mensah (Accra Hearts of Oak)
Ben Simmons (Kumasi Cornerstones)
Half-backs:
Lawerence Adu Darko (Accra Hearts of Oak)
Charles Addo Odametey (Accra Hearts of Oak)
Kwame Appiah (Kumasi Cornerstones)
Joe Aikins (Kumasi Cornerstones)
Dogo Moro (Kumasi Asante Kotoko)
Forwards:
Baba Yara (Kumasi Asante Kotoko)
Charles Kumi Gyamfi (Accra Hearts of Oak) (captain)
Henry Emmanuel Ofei Dodoo (Accra Hearts of Oak)
Edward Acquah (Sekondi Eleven Wise)
Edward Jonah Aggrey-Fynn (Sekondi Hasaacas)
Mohammed Salisu (Kumasi Asante Kotoko)
Fred Akuffo (Kumasi Asante Kotoko)
Coach: Anders Sjöberg (Sweden)
Manager: Kobina Hagan
Sierra Leone squad:
Players: M.Turay, F.J.A.Pratt [captain], Sylvanus Morris, Amadu 'Okro' Kamara, W. Khargbo,
Thomas Williams, Weah Sawyerr, Boye Johnson, Gbatieh Davies, Lamina Sesay,
Steven Bio, Lalloh, Johnny Cole, J. Stresser, J. Nylander, Edward Keister, Tommy Rowe.
Coach: Captain Dick Fairweather (U.K.)
Portuguese Guinea squad: unknown
Qualifying Tournament (incomplete)
Zone A
Nigeria qualified (automatically?)
Zone B
Ghana qualified (automatically?)
Zone C
Mali qualified. The only known result in this zone is:
10- 7-1960 Mali 1-0 Sierra Leone [at Bamako]
[Karounga Keita]
Zone D
Portuguese Guinea qualified
Final Tournament, held in Nigeria
Semifinals
2-10-1960 Nigeria 4-1 Portuguese Guinea [at Lagos]
[Asuquo Ekpe 50', Godwin Emenako 53', Amusa Shittu 80', Dejo Fayemi 89' / Ulisses 25']
2-10-1960 Ghana 5-1 Mali [at Ibadan]
[E.J.Aggrey-Fynn (1-0), Edward Acquah (2-0) (3-1), Baba Yara (4-1) (5-1) / Moussa Diallo (2-1)] [HT 2-1]
Final
9-10-1960 Nigeria 0-3 Ghana [at Lagos]
[Edward Acquah 2' 40', John Onyeador 44' OG]
Ghana squad (incomplete):
Players: Edward Dodoo Ankrah, Addoquaye Laryea, Emmanuel Oblitey, Franklin Crentsil, Joe Aikins,
Dogo Moro, Mohammed Mamah Ankrah, Mohammed Salisu, Edward Acquah, Charles Kumi Gyamfi,
Edward Jonah Aggrey-Fynn [captain], Baba Yara.
Coach: József Ember (Hungary)
Nigeria squad (incomplete):
Players: Godwin Ezekwe, Clement Andre, Cletus Onyeama, Godwin Achebe, Godwin Ejimofobiri,
John Onyeador [captain], Augustine Oduah, Fabian Duru, Kaiser Blankson, Asuquo Ekpe,
Dejo Fayemi, Amusa Shittu, Godwin Emenako, Onyejiaka
Coach: Moshe 'Jerry' Beit Halevi (Israel)
Portuguese Guinea squad (incomplete):
Luis, Waldemar, Orlando, Honorio, Tato, Ulisses, Nhartanga
Mali squad: unknown
Note: the final tournament was also part of the West African Games. Medals were reported in the
'Daily Times' of Lagos as follows (perhaps incomplete):
G S B
Nigeria 32 36 6
Ghana 32 22 12
Fernando Póo 1 3 0
Cameroon 1 2 0
Togo 1 2 0
Sierra Leone 0 0 4
Liberia 0 0 1
Qualifying Tournament (incomplete)
Zone A Semifinal
8-12-1962 Nigeria 3-1 Cameroon [at Lagos]
[Chris Udemezue, Asuquo Ekpe, Chukwumah / ? (pen)]
1- 1-1963 Cameroon 1-2 Nigeria [at Yaoundé]
[? / John Egbuonu, Chris Udemezue]
Zone A Final
27- 1-1963 Dahomey 1-1 Nigeria [at Cotonou]
[? / Victor Iyamu]
2- 2-1963 Nigeria 4-1 Dahomey [at Benin City]
[Asuquo Ekpe 6' 18', John Egbuonu 70' 75' / ? 34']
Zone B:
Ghana qualfied
Zone C Semifinal
17-12-1961 Liberia 1-0 Guinea [at Monrovia]
29-12-1961 Guinea 5-2 Liberia [at Conakry]
Zone C Final
1- 4-1962 Mali 3-1 Guinea [at Bamako]
15- 4-1962 Guinea 2-2 Mali [at Conakry]
Zone D:
Senegal qualified. The only known results in this zone are:
- -1961 Gambia lt Senegal [at Bathurst]
19-11-1961 Senegal 2-3 Gambia [at Dakar]
[? / Francis Eku Forbes x2, George Gomez]
[Senegal advanced on aggregate]
Final Tournament, held in Ghana
Semifinals
24- 2-1963 Ghana 5-0 Nigeria [at Kumasi]
[Wilberforce Mfum 13' 80', E.J.Aggrey-Fynn 60' pen, Baba Yara ~70', Edward Acquah ~90']
24- 2-1963 Mali 3-1 Senegal [at Kumasi]
[Karounga Keita 10' 37', ? / Yatma Diouck 40'] [HT 2-1]
Third place match
27- 2-1963 Nigeria 4-0 Senegal [at Kumasi]
[Asuquo Ekpe, Paul Hamilton x3]
Final
3- 3-1963 Ghana 4-0 Mali [at Accra]
[Edward Acquah 17' 62' 77', Baba Yara 35']
Ghana squad (a.k.a. "the Black Star Group"):
Goalkeepers:
Edward Dodoo Ankrah (Accra Real Republikans)
Ernest De Graft (Kumasi Cornerstones)
Full-backs:
Samuel Anum Okai (Accra Hearts of Oak)
Emmanuel Oblitey (Accra Real Republikans)
Franklin Crentsil (Accra Real Republikans)
Half-backs:
Edward Jonah Aggrey-Fynn (Accra Real Republikans) (captain)
Charles Addo Odametey (Accra Real Republikans)
Ben Simmons (Accra Real Republikans)
Kofi Pare (Accra Real Republikans)
Forwards:
Baba Yara (Accra Real Republikans)
Kwame Adarkwa (Kumasi Asante Kotoko)
Wilberforce Mfum (Kumasi Asante Kotoko)
Edward Acquah (Accra Real Republikans)
Abdul-Ganiyu Salami* (Accra Hearts of Oak)
Atta Kwame (Sunyani Brong-Ahafo United)
Tettey Akrong (Accra Hearts of Oak)
Coach: Charles Kumi Gyamfi
* note: Salami was born in Nigeria and later played for the Nigerian national team.
Mali squad
Players: Abdoulaye Traoré, Boubacar Touré, Idrissa Touré, Ousmana Traoré, Karounga Keita,
Bakary Samaké [captain], Samba Bass, Labass Diakité, Tiécoura Bouaré, Abdoulaye Diawara,
Cheickna 'Kolo' Traoré, Mamadou Traoré, Moussa Diallo, Seydou N'Daou, Samba Diakité,
Issa Traoré, Oumar Traoré.
Coach: Oumar Sy
Officials: Moussa Keita (High Commissioner for Youth and Sports), Mr Coulibaly (Comissioner for Sports),
Badara Sow (Secretary-general of the National Sports Committee),
Cheik Kouyaté (Secretary-general of the F.M.F.), Dr Henri Corenthin (F.M.F.).
Note: the above list was compiled based on phonetic spellings in a Ghanaian newspaper, and may be subject to errors.
Nigeria squad (a.k.a. "the Green Eagles"):
Players: Godwin Ezekwe, Emmanuel Omiunu, John Nwosu, Mike Nwokedi, Ifeanyi Osadebe,
Adetunji Shotayo, Monday Sinclair, Emmanuel Remi, Augustine Oduah, Victor Iyamu,
Asuquo Ekpe [captain], Paul Hamilton, Samuel Osu, Effiong Ekpe, John Egbuonu.
Coach: Dan Anyiam
Nigerian officials: Clement Ndukwe (N.F.A. chairman), Oyo Orok Oyo (N.F.A. secretary),
Augustine Anisha (referee)
Senegal squad: unknown
Following the 1963 tournament it was announced that the finals of the next edition would
be held in Lagos in 1965. These were postponed to December 1966, then to March 1967.
Presumably the tournament was abandoned altogether but this has not yet been confirmed.
Qualifying Tournament
The only known results are (Zone C):
12-11-1966 Sierra Leone 1-1 Liberia [at Freetown]
[Kabineh Kabba 90' pen / Mass Sarr 59']
19-11-1966 Liberia 2-0 Sierra Leone [at Monrovia]
[?] [HT 0-0]
Note: the match was abandoned a few minutes before full-time due to fighting
following a protest by Sierra Leone that it was too dark to see the ball.
Sources included: [Oke 00], The Daily Times (Lagos), The Daily Graphic (Ghana), The Ghanaian Times (Ghana), Evening News (Ghana), The Sierra Leone Daily Mail, The Gambia Echo.
Thanks to Barrie Courtney and Nii Okai Evans-Anfom for an earlier version of this file; thanks to Piet Veroeveren for Zone C results 1961-1963.
Prepared and maintained by Neil Morrison and Mark Cruickshank for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
Authors: Neil Morrison and Mark Cruickshank
Last updated: 8 Apr 2020
(C) Copyright Neil Morrison, Mark Cruickshank, and RSSSF 2002/20
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper
acknowledgement is given to the author. All rights reserved.