Union of North African Football Federations
UNAF is the regional football association representing North African national federations within the Confederation of African Football.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Union of North African Football Federations, commonly abbreviated as UNAF, is a regional association-football organising body linked to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). It was established in 2005 by the North African CAF members Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. Mauritania joined the regional structure in 2025, expanding the organisation's membership beyond its original five-country foundation. UNAF functions as one of CAF's regional groupings and coordinates football activity across North Africa. Its work covers competitions and administrative cooperation involving men's and women's football, youth football, clubs, futsal and beach soccer. The organisation's role is regional rather than commercial: it provides a framework through which national federations can organise tournaments, develop representative teams and coordinate football policy and administration. The union is governed through a general assembly and an executive office. Its presidency is elected by the member associations for a four-year term, with the leadership intended to rotate among the founding national federations. The president-elect proposes a deputy from among the heads of the member federations, while the executive office appoints committee leadership and membership. This structure gives the national associations direct control over the regional body's priorities and competition calendar. The first presidential period after the union's creation was led by Samir Zaher, a former president of the Egyptian Football Association. Wadii Jari, president of the Tunisian Football Federation, was unanimously elected chairman at a general assembly held in Tunis on 25 October 2014. Gamal Allam, then head of the Egyptian Football Association, was unanimously selected as vice-president at the same meeting. The assembly also approved administrative and financial reports, a proposed 2015 budget and an activity programme for the following year. UNAF's competitions and representative activities sit within a region that has played an important role in African football history. The organisation's reference material records notable North African achievements in the FIFA World Cup, including Egypt's 1934 qualification as the first African World Cup participant, Tunisia's 1978 victory as the first African World Cup match win, Morocco's 1986 run to the round of 16 and Morocco's 2022 semi-final appearance. These records are not UNAF competitions themselves, but they illustrate the sporting context in which the regional association operates. The organisation has also experienced federation-level tension. On 20 November 2009, the Egyptian Football Association withdrew from UNAF, citing incidents surrounding a World Cup playoff between Egypt and Algeria. Egypt returned to the union in 2011. The episode demonstrated how disputes involving national teams can affect regional football governance and membership participation. UNAF remains an active regional association, although detailed current information about its office location, leadership and financial operations is not established in the supplied reference material.
History
UNAF was created in 2005 by Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia, the North African members of the Confederation of African Football. The organisation was established as a regional football union within CAF's continental structure, which divides African national associations into geographic regions. Its remit includes sporting competitions, federation cooperation and the development of football activities across North Africa. The union's governance is based on the participation of its member federations. A general assembly elects the president for a four-year period, and the presidency is intended to rotate among the founding countries. The president-elect proposes a deputy from among the heads of the national federations, while the executive office determines committee leadership and membership. This arrangement reflects UNAF's status as an association of national governing bodies rather than a private sporting company. Samir Zaher, a former president of the Egyptian Football Association, led the union during its first parliamentary period after formation. A later leadership transition took place in Tunis on 25 October 2014, when Wadii Jari, president of the Tunisian Football Federation, was unanimously elected chairman for four years. Gamal Allam, then president of the Egyptian Football Association, was unanimously selected as vice-president. The same general assembly approved the union's administrative and financial reports, a proposed 2015 budget and an activity programme for 2015. UNAF's activities encompass men's and women's football, youth competitions, club tournaments, futsal and beach soccer. It also provides a regional context for the performance of North African teams in continental and global competitions. The region's historical record includes several firsts in African World Cup participation and achievement: Egypt qualified for the 1934 tournament, Morocco drew a World Cup match in 1970, Tunisia won a World Cup match in 1978, Algeria won two matches in 1982, Morocco reached the knockout stage in 1986 and Morocco became the first African semi-finalist in 2022. The organisation's history also includes a serious membership dispute. On 20 November 2009, the Egyptian Football Association announced its withdrawal, referring to incidents associated with the Egypt–Algeria World Cup playoff. The withdrawal was temporary, and Egypt returned in 2011. The incident illustrates the sensitivity of regional football governance, where national-team rivalries and supporter incidents can directly affect institutional cooperation. The original five-country structure was expanded when Mauritania joined in 2025. Current information about the union's exact headquarters, office structure, leadership after the documented 2014 election and financial position is not established by the supplied sources. Its official website is presented in Arabic, while the organisation also operates in a multilingual North African football environment that includes Arabic and French.
- 2025
Mauritania joins
[1]Mauritania becomes an additional member of the North African football association.
- 2014
Wadii Jari elected chairman
[1]A general assembly in Tunis unanimously elects Wadii Jari to a four-year chairmanship and selects Gamal Allam as vice-president.
- 2011
Egypt returns
[1]Egypt resumes participation in the regional union.
- 2009
Egypt withdraws from UNAF
[1]The Egyptian Football Association withdraws after incidents surrounding the Egypt–Algeria World Cup playoff.
- 2005
UNAF is founded
[1]Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia establish the regional North African football union within the CAF framework.
- 2005
Samir Zaher leads the founding period
[1]Samir Zaher, a former Egyptian Football Association president, serves as the organisation's first-period president.
Products and positioning
A regional governing and competition-organising body that connects North African national football federations within the CAF system.
Men's football
UNAF regional football competitions
UNAF organises and coordinates regional men's football competitions involving North African national teams and clubs. The available reference material identifies these competitions as part of the union's core remit but does not provide a complete current catalogue of tournament names, formats or title holders.
Women's and youth football
UNAF women's and youth competitions
The union's competition portfolio includes women's football and youth football. These activities provide regional fixtures and development opportunities for national associations, although the supplied sources do not establish a complete list of current competitions or editions.
Futsal and beach soccer
UNAF futsal and beach-soccer competitions
UNAF's remit extends beyond the conventional outdoor men's game to futsal and beach soccer. The regional body supports competition structures in these formats and connects them with the wider CAF and international football systems.
Controversies
Brand decisions
2025
Expansion through Mauritania's membershipOtherBackground
UNAF had originally been established by five North African CAF members.
Action taken
Mauritania joined the regional association.
Aftermath
The membership expanded beyond the original five founding associations.
2014
Approval of the 2015 activity programme and budgetStrategyBackground
At the October 2014 general assembly, members reviewed the union's administrative and financial reports and considered its planned work for the following year.
Action taken
The assembly approved the proposed 2015 budget and the programme of UNAF activities for 2015.
Aftermath
The decision established the documented operational programme for the year following the leadership election.
Estimated budget. (2015)
Sources2 sources
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