Teams arrive today as LOC unveils referees for Aisha Buhari Cup

The cast is gradually getting ready for the maiden Aisha Buhari International Invitations Women Football Tournament, which holds in Lagos from Wednesday.
Already, some of the teams involved in the championship are expected to arrive in Lagos today and start putting finishing touches to their strategy to win the championship, which now becomes a FIFA-grading event.

Expected to be on the ground in Lagos today are the women national teams of Ghana (Black Queens), Lady Eagles of Mali, and the Atlas Lionesses of Morocco.

According to the LOC, while the Queens and Eagles are arriving in Nigeria aboard a chartered flight, the Lionesses are coming into town aboard a Royal Air Maroc flight.

Yesterday, the LOC announced that all the six matches of the international showpiece in honour of the name and Office of the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria will now hold at the remodelled and upgraded Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan.

While Morocco and Mali are in the same Group A with Nigeria, Ghana’s Black Queens, two-time runners-up of the Women Africa Cup of Nations, tackle Cameroun and South Africa in Group B.

Nine-time African champions, Nigeria, will also move into team hotel this morning, as the LOC, teams, and officials look forward with so much expectation to Wednesday’s opening ceremony that will see the Super Falcons taking on the Lady Eagles of Mali from 4.00 p.m.

Meanwhile, Tokyo Olympics’ women’s football tournament official, Patience Ndidi Madu, is at the top of the list of match officials for the tournament.

The list has seven referees, eight assistant referees, and eight members of the Referees Commission, which includes two assessors, two match commissioners, one technical instructor, one physical instructor, one ICT person, and a masseur.

Madu is the only Nigerian referee on the list. Other referees are Juliet Appiah (Ghana); Marie Diangha (Cameroon); Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco); Vicentia Amedomè (Togo); Zouwaira Souley (Niger Republic); and Christelle Aurore (Benin Republic).

Assistant referees are Mary Tei (Ghana); Beauty Kabenda Terah (Nigeria); Victorine Bahane (Cameroun); Ennouajeli Ihssane (Morocco); Mfon Akpan Friday (Nigeria); Adbedanou Abra Sitsofé (Togo); Douno Moussa Hawa (Niger Republic); and Bio Bangana Djaria (Benin Republic).
In the Referees Commission are Linus Mba (Assessor, Nigeria); Tempa N’dah Francois (Assessor, Benin Republic); Samira Ghartey (Match Commissioner, Ghana); Frederick Acheampong (Match Commissioner, Ghana); Felicia Okwugba (Technical Instructor, Nigeria); Jeanne Annah Ayemou (Physical Instructor, Cote d’Ivoire); Promise Nnadozie Uwaeme (ICT, Nigeria); and Adaku Nwachukwu (Masseur, Nigeria).

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