The group stage draw for the maiden edition of the women’s tournament was conducted in Lagos on Wednesday
Nigeria will face Morocco and Mali in Group A of the preliminary round of the first edition of the Aisha Buhari Cup.
The competition is organised in honour of Nigeria’s first lady, Aisha Buhari, and it will be a week-long event in Lagos.
The draw ceremony place on Wednesday inside the Australia Hall of the plush Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island.
Eleven-time Africa Women Cup of Nations winners Nigeria must negotiate their way past Morocco and Mali in Group A if they hope to make it to the semi-final of the championship.
Five-time Awcon runners-up South Africa will have their hands full when they take on Ghana and Cameroon in Group B.
Randy Waldrum’s Super Falcons will commence their campaign against the Atlas Lionesses on September 13 at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan on Monday.
The tournament is expected to get Nigeria ready for the 2022 Awcon qualifiers against Ghana in October. They failed to register a win in three matches played at the US Summer Series in June.
Meanwhile Onome Ebi – the only African to feature in five Fifa Women’s World Cup finals – has lauded the initiative which she claimed would be a good build-up for Morocco 2022.
“With regards to the Dr Aisha Buhari Cup, I see the competition as a good one because it will help most of the teams participating in it ahead of the Women Africa Cup of Nations,” she told NFF media.
“As we all know that the last AWCON did not hold due to the coronavirus, I believe this is going to help the teams by bringing African teams to play against themselves.
“We just see it like we are playing the Africa Cup Nations again because I see it that it’s the same teams that will likely be playing in the Awcon that will play in this competition.
“I am really excited and happy that we are going to play against a team like Ghana because we will be playing against them again in the qualifier.”
“I think that will really help in preparing the team because the qualifying games will be in October,” she continued.
“So, this tournament in September will help all the teams to prepare well in their qualifying games against their opponents.
“Hopefully, Nigeria will come out great and emerge champions because we have really been working, training and preparing ourselves, trying to come together.”
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