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.
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.