The maiden edition of the ABC tournament officially called the ‘Aisha Buhari Cup’ will commence today in Nigeria. The tournament will end on September 21, 2021. Organizers announced on Sunday all six matches will take place at the revamped Onikan Stadium in Lagos.
The international showpiece is in honor of Aisha Buhari, the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Organized during the FIFA international window, the six-nation tournament will bring together the best women’s national teams from the continent.
This includes the Super Falcons of Nigeria, nine-time African champions and hosts of the event and Cameroon’s Indomitable Lionesses. Others include South Africa’s Banyana Banyana, Ghana’s Black Queens, Mali’s Eagles and Morocco’s Atlas Lionesses.
Ghana’s Black Queens, the Female Eagles of Mali, and the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco arrived in Nigeria on Monday. Reports say South Africa was the last to touch down in Lagos ahead of the start of the competition.
Nigeria vs Mali
Meanwhile, The Super Falcons of Nigeria, will kick start their campaign this evening when they take on the Eagles of Mali in the tournament’s opener. The first game will commence immediately after the opening ceremony at 4 pm local time.
Undoubtedly, the nine-time African Champions are not just favorites of the opening game but are tipped by pundits to clinch the maiden trophy. The team brags of some top five-star players on the continent who ply their trades abroad.
Notable names include Asisat Oshoala, Desire Oparanozie, Francesca Ordega, Onome Ebi, Osinachi Ohale, and Rasheedat Ajibade. Super Falcons Captain, Asisat Oshoala, recorded an impressive outing with her Spanish team, FC Barcelona, at the weekend. She scored twice in a 5-0 victory over Real Betis Femeni.
Going into today’s tie, the Falcons have the better form having won two of their last five games (two defeats, one draw).
Nevertheless, the exploits of the Eagles cannot be underestimated as they also have the quality to cause an upset. This will be the 10th meeting between the Falcons and the Eagles with the reigning African champions winning nine and one game ending in a draw.
Morocco hopeful of a successful tournament
Meanwhile, on the eve of the competition, CAFOnline.com spoke with Morocco head coach Reynald Pedros. The French-born technician is eager to gauge the level of his squad, ahead of the highly anticipated TotalEnergies Women’s Africa Cup 2022 in Morocco. He, however, expects a tough tournament, looking at the quality of the participating teams.
“It will allow us to shape a group and judge it against the best African nations. It is a great opportunity for Morocco to participate in this tournament”.
Reynald Pedros
Speaking on the pedigrees of his opponents, Reynald Pedros indicated that it’s a difficult group which contains the tournament’s favorites. However, he believes his team has the chance to progress to the next stage.
“We are in the group of Mali and Nigeria. Of course Nigeria is the favorite. After all, a football match is always unpredictable. We will do our best to be the best we can, to win our games. But we will always be at work. It is important. It will also allow us to see our opponents. We have already played against Mali, we will discover Nigeria, we will see the other nations of group B. So, it is a group that is bearable for us because we will do what is necessary to try to finish in the first two”.
Reynald Pedros
The ‘Aisha Buhari Cup’ is a Mini-Women’s AFCON because any of the six teams is a potential contender for the upcoming 2022 Women’s AFCON title. To this end, Coach Pedros said “I think it’s going to be a tournament that will have to be renewed”. Adding that “we have all the best African teams” and so, “there is quality”.
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