Nigeria hosts six-nation Aisha Buhari Cup

Six of the best women football playing nations in Africa, including South Africa, Cameroun, Mali, Morocco, and Ghana will converge on Nigeria for the Aisha Buhari Invitational Championship billed to hold in September.

According to the organisers of the competition, First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has endorsed the championship, which is one of the programmes aimed at uplifting the girl/child in the continent.

Already, South, Ghana, Cameroun, Mali and Morocco have signified their intention to participate in the competition, which will attract many of the biggest international football figures to Nigeria.

According to a member of the organising committee, the competition is a direct effect of the election into the FIFA Council of Nigeria Football Federation’s (NFF) President, Amaju Pinnick, who is particularly interested in the development of women football in the continent.

He added, “It will be a festival of women football with some of the biggest names in world soccer expected to be in Nigeria to witness the matches and also participate in some of the events lined up alongside the games.

“Friends of the first lady are also expected be at the event to support her throughout the tournament.

“Apart from the football on the pitch, there will be other activations to sensitise Africans on the benefits of sports to national development. It will also address issues affecting women in developing countries with direct reference to the place of the girl/child in our society.

“The competition will also serve as a dress rehearsal for the CAF Women’s Champions League, which will begin later tis year.”

Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroun and South Africa are among the leading women football playing nations in Africa, while Morocco and Mali are some of the emerging forces in the game.