Infantino, Motsepe confirmed for Aisha Buhari Cup

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 will be at the six-nation tournament in Lagos from September 14 to 20, 2021.

The football showpiece, which is in honour of Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, will feature hosts, Nigeria, Cameroun, Ghana, South Africa and emerging powers, Mali and Morocco.

According to a message from the main mover of the event, Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President, CAF Executive and FIFA Council Member, Amaju Pinnick, to the Director of Organisation, Aisha Falode, the presence of the football bigwigs will attest to their high regard for Aisha Buhari.

Falode remarked that “their acceptance to personally attend the football fiesta is in line with the football body’s programmes of growth, commercialisation, marketing and rebranding of the women football, which of late have seen issues affecting the game receiving global attention at every forum.

“FIFA and CAF are deeply involved with various programmes on empowerment, leadership and governance among the women folks. The leadership of these football bodies have sunk huge intervention funds in various programmes directed at women and these interventions are in tandem with Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari’s pet NGO project ‘Future Assured’ with its central theme on girl-child empowerment.

“The football top shots acceptance to be part of the Aisha Buhari Cup as confirmed by the NFF President is a mark of respect for Nigeria’s indefatigable First Lady, Aisha Buhari. They want to use the occasion to honour her as well as recognise her various activities and contributions in and outside Nigeria over the girl-child advocacy and empowerment programmes.

“Remember that the football event will host the best women football playing countries in Africa and the presence on such august occasion of the movers and shakers of football in Africa and world will just be right and deserving for the name of the First Lady, Aisha Buhari.

“It is our avowed commitment at the committee level to ensure the occasion lived up to the billing being envisaged of such an event anywhere in the world.”