Why Safa wants to bid for the 2027 women’s football World Cup

The South African Football Association (SAFA) CEO Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe and SAFA President Danny Jordaan during the South African Football Association press conference at Sandton Convention Centre on June 24, 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

By Yanga Sibembe

21 Sep 2022

South Africa, after becoming the first African nation to host the Fifa men’s World Cup over a decade ago, has announced its intention for a crack at becoming the first African country to host the women’s equivalent of the soccer spectacle.

The South African Football Association (Safa) wants to make the most of the country’s senior women’s soccer side’s recent successes.

Hence, the association has confirmed its intention to bid for the Fifa Women’s World Cup which is set to follow after next year’s showpiece in Australia and New Zealand.

Safa, following a national executive committee (NEC) meeting where the mother body of South African football also confirmed the new lieutenants to the organisation’s long-time president Danny Jordaan, announced that it would be bidding for the 2027 World Cup.

Jordaan was re-elected as Safa president for a third term during a landslide win in June 2022. However, the organisation was yet to settle on his deputies.

Safa CEO, advocate Tebogo Motlanthe, confirmed the bid attempt after the aforementioned meeting and said the process would get underway as soon as possible.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) CEO Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe and SAFA President Danny Jordaan during the Safa press conference at Sandton Convention Centre on 24 June, 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images)

“The NEC has resolved that we must bid to host the World Cup for women in 2027,” said the CEO after the meeting where Natasha Tsichlas, Linda Zwane and Bennett Bailey were named as the new Safa vice-presidents.

“We as the administration will duly inform Fifa and then start the process of hosting the World Cup.”

Safa’s leader Jordaan also believes that Banyana Banyana’s maiden Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (Wafcon) triumph back in July — which booked them their second consecutive appearance at the global spectacle — can help bolster the bid.

“If a team does well, it is easier to convince people that you’re a footballing nation and you can accommodate the world,” Jordaan said on the proposed World Cup bid after Banyana’s Wafcon win.

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Safa previously submitted a bid for the 2023 World Cup, but withdrew its bid. The association stated at the time that it would consider bidding for 2027 after the women's league and national team become more competitive.

Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies’ lifting of the inaugural Caf Women Champions League certainly serves to highlight the growth of the game on the continent, and indeed the country, as well.

It’s a process

Of course, the confirmation of a bid by Safa is just the beginning of the process. The association still has to engage with the government in order for the attempt to be granted the green light.

“The [next] steps are informing the government of our intentions. Meetings are going to be scheduled to take this forward. We also have to inform Fifa on our plans,” said Safa spokesperson Mninawa Ntloko to Daily Maverick.

“It’s a process. You can’t get ahead of yourself… We know what steps have to be taken. We know the people that we need to talk to from the start of the process. As we go along, we will keep the public informed on the progress.”

The Netherlands, Belgium and Germany launched a joint bid for the 2027 competition, and that will be among the South African proposal’s principal rivals.

The likes of Chile, USA, Italy and Mexico have also indicated interest in hosting the showpiece in five years’ time.

Of course, having hosted the men’s World Cup in 2010, South Africa possesses the appropriate infrastructure to back up the latest bid.

However, with the future of South Africa looking bleak (literally and figuratively) as it struggles to even keep the lights on, hosting an event of such magnitude might be a bridge too far for the country.

According to Ntloko though, the showpiece might just be the light that the country needs.

“Sport, in general, plays a huge role in society. You can go back to numerous examples in the past, where sport has gone far and beyond what happens on the pitch. We can never underestimate its impact,” Ntloko told Daily Maverick. “Even in this instance, you look at what Banyana have done since they won Wafcon.”

“I’ve listened to conversations that are now starting amongst other sporting codes as far as the women’s team are concerned. A lot of these conversations are starting because Banyana Banyana have thrust a lot of those debates into the spotlight,” he said.

“So, if you bring an event of this magnitude here, you know exactly how much of an impact that has. Beyond anything that happens on any pitch.” DM

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It’s a process