What's the Heck About - Aisha Buhari Cup?
Aisha Buhari is the first Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the sponsor of the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women Football Tournament
The tournament is actually the brain child of NFF president Amaju Pinnick who is a diehard supporter of the women game and passionate advocate for the empowerment of the girl-child.
DOP Assurance
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.
Who is to Participate?
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.
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.
Attract World Football Dignitaries
Organisers of the Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament have confirmed that FIFA President, Gianni Infantino, CAF President, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, FIFA General-Secretary, Fatma Samoura, and other world football dignitaries would be at the six-nation tournament scheduled to hold in Lagos between September 14 and 20, 2021
Goal and Objectives
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 aim to 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.
Location and Date
The celebratory six-nation football showpiece is billed to hold in Lagos, Nigeria as one of the programmes NFF plans to deploy in its bid to make Lagos Africa’s number one football city.
Venues: Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere Lagos, and The Soccer Temple, Agege Stadium Lagos
Date: September 14 - 20, 2021.
