Fifa could opt for SA to host Club World Cup through Jordaan, Motsepe links
SOUTH Africa, presently the blueeyed boys of football international governing body Fifa, have emerged as strong contenders to host the 2021 Club World Cup in December.
In the past few months, Fifa officials have run the rule over several football projects around SA, and heaped lavish praise for efforts to grow the game.
During this time, Fifa officials attended the Cosafa Women’s Championships, in Durban, and afterwards attended presentations in other SA cities.
It is also worth recalling that Fifa president Gianni Infantino played a cameo role in the appointment of SA’s Patrice Motsepe as the new leader of Caf a few months ago.
Infantino said Motsepe’s strong and decisive leadership qualities were sorely needed to take the African game forward.
All this points to an ever-growing relationship between world football and Africa, and specifically SA.
A few days ago, Fifa released a statement, which, in part, read: “Fifa can confirm that it has been informed by the Japan Football Association (JFA) that, due to the Covid-19 pandemic and hosting situation in the country, they are no longer in a position to host the Fifa Club World Cup 2021.”
SA, through Safa president Danny Jordaan, has thrown its name into the hat as a replacement for Japan.
SA, the 2010 World Cup hosts, are well equipped to run an international seven-team tournament at short notice as the country has the infrastructure to provide a top-class event.
The event has taken place on the African continent before, when Morocco were hosts in 2013 and 2014.
There is a possibility that because of a decline in Covid-19 infection rates, spectators would have returned to stadiums in SA by December.
Following Japan’s withdrawal, there is not much turnaround time, and Jordaan expects Fifa to make a call in the next week.
Jordaan and Motsepe, as well as other Fifa officials, will all be attending a women’s tournament in Nigeria this week.
SA’s national women’s team Banyana Banyana is one of six teams competing alongside Ghana, Cameroon, Mali, Morocco and hosts Nigeria.
Before meeting Fifa, Safa will engage the SA government and sports, arts and culture minister Nathi Mthethwa. He will need the government’s approval first before making a bid to host the tournament.
The competition is a seven-team tournament, with the six continental champions competing alongside the host country’s league champions. Mamelodi Sundowns are the reigning Mzansi champions.
If SA ends up hosting the event, it will mark the second time Sundowns will play in the tournament.
Sundowns reached the 2016 Club World Cup in Japan after winning the Caf Champions League.
To date, Egyptian giants Al Ahly, under coach Pitso Mosimane, have qualified after winning the Champions League.
The big attraction at the event, wherever it will end up, will be Premier League giants Chelsea, who will represent Europe after they won the Uefa Champions League last season.