Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, will attend the Super Falcons’ send-off dinner before the team departs for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, along with other important government officials.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup which will last one month, is scheduled to begin on the 20th of July.
According to a statement issued by Ademola Olajire, the NFF’s Head of Communications on Thursday, the dinner in honour of the super falcons will be hosted on Saturday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja.
“We are expecting the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Sports and Youth Development, Ismaila Abubakar, as well as other top sports officials.
“A good number of the team as well as technical and administrative officials are expected alongside the rank and file of the NFF led by the President, Ibrahim Musa Gusau, and the General Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi.
“The event at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel will also attract corporate chieftains, members of the diplomatic corps, and a range of football stakeholders.
“On Sunday, the nine-time African champions will depart the shores of Nigeria for a 15-day camping programme in Australia, before they enter into camp for the tournament beginning from July 20 to Aug. 20,” Olajire noted.
The Super Falcons are in Group ‘B’ alongside Australia, Canada, and the Republic of Ireland.
Their first encounter of the finals is against Canada on July 21 at Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium. Afterwards, the super falcons would lock horns with Australia and the Republic of Ireland at Lang Park in Brisbane on July 27 and July 31, respectively.
According to reports, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in Australia and New Zealand will be the largest-ever FIFA Women’s World Cup finals in history, with 32 teams—the same number that featured in the men’s finals in Qatar last year.
It is also the first FIFA senior competition to be held by two countries, as well as the first to be hosted by two nations from different confederations: Australia in the Asian confederation and New Zealand in Oceania.
The Nigerian team wi be captained by Onome Ebi, who will be one of the oldest players at the tournament, at 40, alongside Brazil’s Marta and Canada’s Christine Sinclair.
The three women will compete in their sixth FIFA Women’s World Cup.