Governing Bodies
Aisha Buhari Cup: It is 30 Days to Kick-off!
The much -anticipated Dr Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament which will see six of Africa’s leading women National Teams competing for honours in the City of Lagos is only 30 days to its commencement.
Nine-time African champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria, are looking to rekindle rivalry with other top African teams in the women’s game at the invitational tourney themed Playing for Good. The tournament is billed for 13th – 21st September 2021 and will also involve the women A teams of Cameroon, South Africa, Ghana, Morocco and Mali.
Super Falcons, presently in high spirits after a first-ever participation in the USWNT Summer Series in the United States of America and an 8-day training camp in Austria ahead of this tournament, are largely expected to re-assert their dominance and superiority in Africa, following their inability to make the just-concluded Olympic Games in Tokyo.
The Dr Aisha Buhari Invitational Women’s Football Tournament, otherwise known as Aisha Buhari Cup, is enjoying the support of top football stakeholders in the country and all hands are on desk for a successful tournament, with an organizing committee peopled by tested administrators and technocrats.
Chairman of the LOC, Seyi Akinwunmi has stated that “the theme of the tournament resonated with the vision and mission of the organizing committee to use the tournament to uphold the honour of the name and Office of Her Excellency, highlight the good causes of the Aisha Buhari Foundation and build and sustain positive narratives about the City of Lagos and Nigeria at large.”
A Football Conference is planned for the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja in the coming weeks to further sensitize and galvanize the political and business environments to the principal objectives of the week-long tournament.
Cameroon’s Lionesses open camp for Aisha Buhari Cup
Head Coach Gabriel Zabo has invited 30 players to the camp of the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon, 30 days to the commencement of the Dr Aisha Buhari Invitational Tournament holding in Nigeria, 13th – 21st September 2021.
The Lionesses have been runners-up of the Women Africa Cup of Nations on four occasions, including the 2016 finals that Cameroon hosted, falling in the final hurdle when a late goal by Nigeria’s Desire Oparanozie ended their ambition at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo in Yaounde.
In Coach Zabo’s provisional list, which has only home-based professionals, are four goalkeepers, 10 defenders, eight midfielders and eight forwards.
The Lionesses made their debut appearance at the FIFA World Cup finals in Canada in 2015, and were also one of Africa’s flag-bearers at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in France.
They are currently ranked number 2 in Africa (behind the Super Falcons) and 52nd in the world.
CAMEROON’S PROVISIONAL LIST:
Goalkeepers: Kirya Michaely Bihina; Ange Bawou; Marthe Ongmahan; Pauline Ayangma Alang
Defenders: Evanick Touta; Doudou Ousmanou; Laure Kong; Vanessa Kalieu; Dani Mimbang; Ambena Ewondo; Michelle Moumazin; Zeh Manga; Rita Wanki; Berthe Abega
Midfielders: Alice Maffo; Raissa Nyangbang Adama; Yvette Kamieta; Ebenye Ebongue; Monique Ngock Ngo; Fatima Kome; Edjenguele Endalle; Melvis Tantoh
Forwards: Eliane Bibout; Brenda Tabe; Alice Kameni; Batoum Ngo; Annie Enganaben; Latifa Ousmane; Lamine Mana; Adrienne Mekuko
Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied reports of an outstanding debt to former captain Christian Chukwu and has challenged anyone with verifiable documents to prove otherwise.
Chukwu, a former national team captain and chief coach, died last Saturday.
The Nigeria Football Federation decried statements in a section of social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to the deceased.
Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF owed the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.
“During the first term of the Board headed by Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.
“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that the ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”
Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.
“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”
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