The Director of Organisation of Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament, Aisha Falode, has assured of the determination and preparedness of the committee to deliver a well-organised football showpiece befitting the personality of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.
Africa’s powerhouses in women football – Cameroon, Ghana, South Africa and hosts, Nigeria – including Mali and Morocco who are some of the emerging forces in the game, have confirmed their participation in the maiden invitational football festival aimed at uplifting the course of girl-child in the continent.
Apart from football, there will be activities to sensitise Africans on the benefits of sports to global development.
The event will also address issues affecting women in developing countries with direct reference to the place of the girl-child in the society, a well known core advocacy identifiable with the sponsor of the event, Mrs. Buhari.
Falode, who is the chairperson of the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), said the tournament aligns with the core values of the First Lady pet project ‘Future Assured’ a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that advocates for the wellbeing of women, children and adolescents in Nigeria.
“The core values we preach in the domestic league sit pretty well with the courses of the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Tournament. We always strive for the best in terms of organisation and that is what we will go all out to recreate in the upcoming football fiesta.
“Her pet project ‘Future Assured’ has been in the forefront advocating for the wellbeing of women, children and adolescents through health, education, economic empowerment and sports.
“The choice of Africa’s powerhouses in the women’s game as participants is a testimony that only the best is good enough in a football event associated with Mrs. Buhari.
“The tournament is a brain child of NFF president, CAF executive and FIFA Council member, Amaju Pinnick and everything must be done right to make sure the event lived up to his status as a diehard supporter of the women game and passionate advocate for the empowerment of the girl-child. We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure the football showpiece becomes a reference point on how similar event would be organised in future.
“Cameroon and Ghana are some of the strongest football playing nations on the continent. Cameroon played in the final of the African Women Nations Cup against Nigeria in 2016, while Mali played in the bronze medal match at the 2018 edition in Ghana.
“South Africa came second in the 2018 competition which Nigeria won, while Morocco is one of the strongest women nation teams in North Africa. The Moroccans will host the 2022 African Women Nations Cup.
The celebratory six-nation football showpiece is billed to hold in Lagos, Nigeria from September 14-20, 2021.
