World Cup bid
WOMEN’S football is set for take-off in the TRNC, with a league due to kick off in April and hopes of hosting a major international tournament next year.
The Cyprus Turkish Football Association (KTFF) has put in a bid to the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (Conifa) to stage its women’s world cup in North Cyprus in 2019.
The country was the venue last year for the men’s European Cup of Conifa — an organisation for unrecognised states, isolated dependencies and cultural regions who are not part of world football’s mainstream body, Fifa.
Çatalköy’s Acapulco resort last month played host to Conifa’s annual general meeting and the draw for its 2018 men’s World Football Cup, which will see the TRNC do battle with 15 other teams from May 31 to June 9 in London.
Revelation of the women’s cup approach comes as the KTFF this week announced it was the organising a 10-week women’s football league, sponsored by the mobile phone provider Kuzey Kıbrıs Turkcell and kicking off on the weekend of April 7 and 8.
KTFF education board member and women’s league coordinator Nazım Burgul said: ,“Women make up half the population of the world and we believe the football industry should be absolutely open to all.”
Dr Burgul said teams currently lined up to take part were Göçmenköy, Gönyeli, Geçitkale, Çanakkale, Mesarya and Mağusa Academy, and they were waiting for a response from Dumlupınar.
The KTFF has issued an invitation to women’s teams wishing to take part to contact its headquarters in Lefkoşa by 5pm on Friday, February 16 — call (0392) 444 1955.
Dr Burgul added that they had staged an initial women’s competition last year, from which a Göçmenköy side had emerged as champions, but this would be the country’s first “comprehensive women’s league”.
Women’s football matches have also been played in aid of the Help Those With Cancer Association (Tulips).
Yenicami Sports Club, current leaders in men’s football’s K-Pet Super League, told Cyprus Today the women’s competition was a “fantastic initiative”.
Club vice-president Enver Kahveciler said: “I think bigger clubs will be interested and could also participate once they see how it all pans out, from finances to working conditions, refereeing etc.
“Although we haven’t taken an official decision to form a women’s team, this will no doubt give an incentive to clubs to encourage women to take up and play football.”