Kwara based female football development outfit, Abruka Queens has praised the Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of the forthcoming Aisha Buhari Cup for staging a befitting draw, ahead of the commencement of the 6-nation tournament.
A glamorous draw ceremony on Wednesday in Lagos heralded the much –anticipated Dr Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament, which the City of Lagos will host 13th – 21st September.
Football enthusiasts, including captains of industry, top officials of Lagos State Sports Commission, top acts of the local organizing committee, Super Falcons’ player and Super Falcons’ Assistant Coach, women’s football financiers and enthusiasts, and representatives of the media witnessed the epoch event at the Australia Hall of the Eko Hotel & Suites in Victoria Island.
The draw ceremony was preceded by a press conference, where Chairman of the LOC, Barrister Seyi Akinwunmi outlined the objectives of the tournament, which includes galvanizing the critical sectors of the country to support the women’s game better in view of the abundance of talent in the country; promote and project what Her Excellency, the First Lady, Dr Aisha Buhari is doing with her Future Assured Programme; highlight the several opportunities and possibilities embedded in women’s football; showcase Lagos State, the Centre of Excellence and; further project to the international sphere Nigeria’s immense talent in women’s football, the good attitude of Nigerians and the organizational skill of Nigerians.
In a release by the club, signed by the duo of the President, Mohammed Abdullahi Alaya and the Vice President, Ibrahim Yusuf Ayelabegan, they said that the successes of women’s football is evidenced in the tremendous interest being shown in the competition.
Aisha Falode, who is also Chairman of the Nigeria Women Football League, conducted the draw, with famous women’s football financier Hon. Ayo Omidiran, Super Falcons’ Assistant Coach Ann Chiejine, ace journalist Cecilia Omorogbe and Super Falcons’ forward Gift Monday picking from the pots to draw the teams in groups.
The six-nation tournament for women aimed at impacting on the girl-child draws competitors from Nigeria, Mali, Ghana, Cameroon, Morocco and South Africa.
Nigeria, as the seeded team in Group A are drawn against Mali and Morocco. They will play at the waterfront Mobolaji Johnson Arena.
The power-packed Group B will feature Cameroon, South Africa and Ghana.
Nigeria will open their account with a clash with Morocco on 13 September.
