Diplomat-Comptroller Akpenpuun completes Elite CAF–WAFU General Coordinators Course
Robert Terlumun Akpenpuun, a seasoned figure in Nigerian football administration and international diplomacy, has successfully completed the CAF–WAFU Zone B General Coordinators Training Course held in Port-Novo, Republic of Benin.
- By Victor Ogunade
Robert Terlumun Akpenpuun, a seasoned figure in Nigerian football administration and international diplomacy, has successfully completed the CAF–WAFU Zone B General Coordinators Training Course held in Port-Novo, Republic of Benin.
Akpenpuun brings a unique pedigree to the role. Currently an Assistant Comptroller with the Nigeria Immigration Service on diplomatic assignment at the Nigerian Embassy in Côte d’Ivoire, he previously served as a Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) match commissioner and a protocol officer with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Nominated by WAFU Zone B President Ibrahim Musa Gusau as part of a five-person NFF delegation, Akpenpuun praised the initiative as a vital bridge for professional growth.
"This training is more than just a course; it’s a platform for regional collaboration," Akpenpuun noted, thanking President Gusau for the opportunity to represent Nigeria on this continental stage.
The program, led by renowned Moroccan instructor Mustapha Slaoui, featured 28 delegates from seven West African nations. In a significant nod to modern governance, the cohort maintained a strict gender balance (two men and two women per country), highlighting CAF’s push for inclusivity in the "beautiful game’s" back-office operations.
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General Coordinators are the architects of the matchday experience—ensuring every moving part, from security to broadcast requirements, aligns with continental standards. The intensive curriculum focused on key aspects of the profession, including the strategic role of the general coordinator within the competition framework, mastery of CAF regulations and procedures, operational match management, leadership and communication, administrative reporting, and multi-stakeholder coordination.
The course blended rigorous classroom theory with hands-on simulations designed to standardize protocols across the West African sub-region.
This training is a cornerstone of the Confederation of African Football’s (CAF) broader strategy to professionalize the sport. By building a corps of highly skilled administrators, CAF aims to harmonize operations across borders, ensuring that a match in Porto Novo meets the same elite organizational standards as one in Cairo or Casablanca.
For Akpenpuun, the transition from diplomatic protocol to football coordination is a natural fit—utilizing the same skills of precision, mediation, and high-level administration to elevate African football.
