| Tourney Name: | WAFU Cup of Nations |
| Year: | 2017 |
| Country: | Ghana |
| Dates: | 9–24 September 2017 |
| Num Teams: | 16 |
| Sub-Confederations: | 1 |
| Venues: | 2 |
| Cities: | 2 |
| Champion: | Ghana |
| Count: | 2 |
| Second: | Nigeria |
| Third: | Niger |
| Fourth: | Benin |
| Matches: | 24 |
| Goals: | 44 |
| Top Scorer: |  Stephen Sarfo Victorien Adebayor (3 goals each) |
| Player: | Isaac Twum |
| Goalkeeper: |  Ikechukwu Ezenwa |
| Prevseason: | 2013 |
| Nextseason: | 2019 |
The 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations (also referred to as Ghana 2017) was an association football tournament that took place in September 2017 in Ghana.
Sixteen teams from West Africa participated. The tournament was the first featuring national teams to be arranged by Fox Sports as part of a twelve year partnership between the broadcaster and the West Africa national football associations union.[1] [2]
Originally, one of the two host cities was set to be Sekondi-Takoradi however the local organising committee changed it to Elmina due to "structural defects at the Sekondi-Takoradi Stadium and the danger it could pose to fans during the tournament".[3]
See main article: 2017 WAFU Cup of Nations squads.
The draw was held on 27 July at Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra.[4] Teams were ranked using the June 2017 FIFA Rankings. Ghana were given the highest ranking due to being competition hosts.[5]
| Nation | Ranking | |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | ||
| 27 | ||
| 38 | ||
| 41 | ||
| 47 | ||
| 66 | ||
| 72 | ||
| 81 | ||
| 84 | ||
| 103 | ||
| 104 | ||
| 112 | ||
| 113 | ||
| 130 | ||
| 151 | ||
| 164 |
The four highest ranked national teams from WAFU Zones A and B were seeded meaning they could not be drawn against each other.
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Vincent Antigah Winful Cobbinah Kwame Kizito
Moussa Kone Rabiu Ali Moses Peter
Jules Elegbede Rodrigue Fassinou Charbel Gomez Ibrahim Ogoulola Agnide Osseni Nabil Yarou
Hassamy Sansan Dah Samuel Sarfo
Gilson Correia Mandala Konte Anthony Okpotu Moses Okoro
Ablaye Diene Moussa Djitte Mohammed Kane Assane Mbodj Amadu Dia NdiayeThe team of the tournament was announced on 27 September 2017.[7]
The prize was awarded in form of US dollars:[8]
| Position | Prize money (US Dollars) | |
|---|---|---|
| Winner | 100,000 | |
| Runner-up | 50,000 | |
| Third place | 25,000 | |
| Fourth place | 10,000 | |
| Four losing semi-finalists | 10,000 | |
| Four second round finishers | 5,000 |