Johannesburg – South Africa is willing and ready to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The country, which hosted the men’s competition in 2010, is now looking forward to formally launching its intention to be a bidding nation once FIFA has issued the final bid book requirements.
South Africa Football Association (SAFA) President Dr. Danny Jordaan has travelled to different locations around the globe in the last few months to lobby for support.
South Africa is attempting to join the United States of America, Germany, and France as the only countries to have hosted both the men’s and the women’s FIFA World Cup.
Jordaan is expected to continue to lobby when the 73rd Edition of the FIFA Congress, where a presidential election is due to take place, is held in Kigali, Rwanda, on 16 March 2023.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is standing for re-election and is expected to be elected for a third term.
The FIFA President was first elected in February 2016 and then won a second term when he stood unopposed for re-election in 2019.
The FIFA President has been a strong supporter of Africa and South Africa hopes this stands the country in good stead during the bidding for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
South Africa’s national women’s football team Banyana Banyana are the reigning African champions and will be participating in this year’s FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand that begins in July.
The countries bid to host the for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup received a boost after the SA government expressed its support for SAFA’s plans to host the tournament.
South Africa Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa sent a letter to the SAFA President saying the department was proud to support the Association’s expression of interest to bid to host the global showpiece.
The minister’s support comes on the back of the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) giving Dr. Jordaan a letter of support for the bid in October last year.
While the bidding process has not officially started yet, there are several proposed bids from South Africa, a joint bid from Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden), Chile, and the United States of America, among others.
Dr. Jordaan said SAFA was looking forward to formally launching South Africa’s intention to be a bidding nation.