September 23, (THEWILL) – At the recently concluded Aisha Buhari Invitational Cup Competition, the very presence of world football body, FIFA, was felt in the person of the ever-relatable FIFA’s General Secretary Fatma Samoura as she treaded the path of women’s football on the contingent.
In the same way that Gianni Infantino, FIFA President, has been walking the halls of the UN and the financial district of New York, meeting with heads of state and financiers, to advocate the progress and development of football on the world stage, Samoura has been making similar strides in Africa.
Samoura led a FIFA delegation to the inaugural Lagos-hosted women’s football tournament featuring six African National teams. In that role, the General Secretary called for more capacity building for the women’s game across Africa and, most importantly, more competitive opportunities for teams in general.
The Aisha Buhari Cup, an initiative of Nigeria’s First Lady, Aisha Buhari, was specifically aimed to inspire women in Africa to play the game as well as empower the women who compete in it with its celebrated theme of championing the girl child.
Therefore, together with FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the competition was taken as an opportunity to open a wider discussion of how the women’s game can be advanced in Nigeria and across the African continent in advancing the dreams of the girl child.
In her delegation, Samoura was accompanied by Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer, as well as Isha Johansen, FIFA’s Council member and Kanizat Ibrahim, the Vice President of the CAF.
Samoura gave voice to the drive when she said: “The more we expand the opportunities for our girls to gain experience though tournaments on a continental level, the greater the chances of seeing more African teams qualify to the expanded FIFA Women’s World Cup.”
Bareman added: “The skill and natural talent in African women’s football is simply outstanding and this tournament has provided a great window to view this. FIFA will work closely with our MAs throughout the continent, like the NFF and its dedicated women’s football team, to build clear strategies and roadmaps for African teams.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
