West African Football Academy (WAFA) has become the most fanciful side in the Ghanaian Premier League after re-joining the topflight division in 2014/15.
Stacked with young players of which majority are still students (Senior High School), the steady rise of the club which culminated in finishing runners-up to Aduana Stars last season, has not been overlooked at all.
The exciting Sogapoke-based have proven that, when in their elements, everyone plays second fiddle to them. They have broken and set new records in the annals of Ghana football since returning to the elite division.
The astro-turf (pitch) in Sogakope has played host to numerous record-breaking moments over the past four seasons. WAFA, formerly known as Feyenoord Academy played their way back into the top-tier after almost a decade of absence and they returned better and stronger: as detailed out in this article.
Now let’s take a look at the TOP 5 records they’ve broken since returning to the league.
WAFA 3-0 Hearts (August 2016)
WAFA thumped Hearts of Oak 3-0 in 2015/16. Togolese forward Komla Agbeniedan (scored twice) and Charles Boateng combined to hand twenty-time league champions Hearts of Oak, their joint-second heaviest away defeat in the league’s history; equaling defeats to Wa All Stars (3-0, 2013), AshGold (3-0, 1995) and B.A United (1-4, 1994).
WAFA 5-0 Hasaacas (March 2016)
2015/16 season highlighted the ruthlessness of WAFA as they defeated Giants of the West – Sekondi Hasaacas 5-0. But even more, it was done in style. They had beaten Hasaacas 4-1 the season before, but improved on that result the following season. It was well worked out as Hasaacas eventually were relegated that season. The result remains Hasaacas’ joint-heaviest defeat since the commencement of the professional league in 1993/94. It toppled Hasaacas 4-0 defeat to RTU in 1997 at the dreaded Kaladan Park, but equaled Hearts of Oaks’ 5-0 drubbing of the ‘Doo-Boys’ in April 2010.
WAFA 5-0 Dreams (April 2018)
It has become customary for WAFA to inflict heavy defeat on at least one team each year. Unfortunately for the in-form Dreams FC, it was their turn to have their dreams shattered. The Still Believers had kept the highest number of cleansheets (5 in 9 games) and had not conceded a goal in their last three league games before squaring off with the wounded WAFA over the weekend. WAFA had won just one of their previous six league games. A streak which had seen the exit of their manager Klavs Rasmussen, but that wasn’t enough to deter the Academy Boys from crashing the Dreamers from Dawu. They took them to the cleaners and rinsed them thoroughly. They posted 5 goals past the Dawu-based team, recording the club’s biggest defeat in history. Dreams had conceded just 4 goals in their previous 4 league games before meeting beleaguered WAFA, but the story was different as history had a date with the football Academicians, once more.
WAFA 5-0 Hearts (June 2017)
Who would have thought? In 2016, Hearts of Oak were battered 3-0 at WAFA. The following season just like that of Hasaacas, WAFA decided to dig a bit deeper and caught the biggest fish. They pummeled the Phobians 5-0. WAFA, again had inflicted the heaviest defeat to another club one more time, except this time it was the oldest existing club in Ghana – the ‘Continental Masters’ Hearts of Oak. This was the club’s biggest defeat in their 106-year history in a competitive game. It was the perhaps, WAFA’s best ever game. They led 3-0 at halftime before completing the annihilation in the second half. An extraordinary match it was. Defeating the second most successful side in the league by 5-0 is simply astonishing stuff nobody could ever make up.
46-game unbeaten run (March 2018)
Since their return to the topflight division, WAFA have lost just two home games: AshGold and Medeama. Sandwiched between these two defeats was an unprecedented feat such as never seen. WAFA went 46 (forty-six!) games without defeat at home. This is the best in history since professional football begun in Ghana. The record was previously held by Berekum Chelsea who went 43 games unbeaten at home between February 2013 and May 2016. Contrary to conflicting reports in sections of the media, Berekum Arsenal’s best unbeaten run at home was from January 2007 to June 2009, when they went 34 league games at the Golden City Park without tasting defeat. WAFA, singularly holds the record for the longest unbeaten run at home in the Ghana Premier League – 46 games.
Clearly, records are made and broken at the Red Bull Arena – Sogakope Park.
Txt: Owusu Ansah Doe [www.alfowusu.com]