SAhopes to host 2023 World Cup
Jordaan in bid to get the women’sevent, a first for an African country
SA Football Association (Safa) president Danny Jordaan has confirmed SA’s interest in hosting the 2023 Women’s World Cup and said he is scheduled to meet Fifa president Giovanni Infantino regarding the issue.
Jordaan said Safa had written to Fifa and that the association was waiting for the world football governing body to send them the bidding requirements.
“So I’m going to meet with the Fifa president Gianni Infantino in Paris soon‚” said Jordaan.
“He (Gianni Infantino) has invited me to come there so I will have a discussion with him to talk about this thing and find out from him when will Fifa release the bid requirements.”
SA is strong favourite to host next year’s African Nations Cup and if the 2023 Women’s World Cup bid is successful‚ it would be a fifth major football tournament to be held in the country after the successful hosting of the 2010 men’s World Cup‚ and the 2013 and 1996 Nations Cups.
It would also mark the first time that an African country hosts a women’s World Cup.
The SA senior women’s national team Banyana Banyana last week qualified for the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup to be hosted in France after finishing as runners-up at the recently concluded African Women’s Cup of Nations in Ghana.
The top three nations at the women’s Cup of Nations qualified for the World Cup.
Banyana will be joined by African champions Nigeria‚ who beat SA in the final last week‚ and third-place finishers Cameroon.
Jordaan said SA’s successful hosting of the 2010 World Cup‚ the 1996 and the 2015 Nations Cups would strengthen the country’s chances.
“We have hosted the World Cup before and for any country seeking to host a big event globally‚ that is one of the major requirements.”
Jordaan added that the pattern of previous women’s World Cup host country organisers gave him confidence that SA could land hosting rights for the 2023 edition.
“In 1994 the USA hosted the men’s World Cup and they hosted the women’s World Cup in 1999.
“In 2006 Germany hosted the men’s World Cup and in 2011 they hosted the women’s World Cup.
“South Africa hosted the 2010 edition and it’s now our time (to host the 2023 Fifa Women’s World Cup‚” said Jordaan. –