15 March 2023 – South African Football Association (SAFA) President Dr Danny Jordaan is pleased after the FIFA Council finalised the bidding requirements for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
South Africa registered its intention to bid for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup and submitted letters of support from the Government and the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) a few months ago.
Dr Jordaan, who is in Kigali, Rwanda, for the FIFA Congress, said South Africa is the only nation on the African continent bidding to host the global event.
“I think that having seen the requirements, we know that most of those requirements have already been met or exceeded. We have the stadiums, the training venues and the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) among others. We have the IBC there at Nasrec, in the south of Johannesburg,” the SAFA President said from Kigali.
“All these things were tested in 2010 when we hosted the men’s FIFA World Cup. So the infrastructure is done. This means 70 percent of the evaluation is already in place.
“The fact that we are the only African country that is bidding to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2027, and the fact that we have infrastructure in place are the two positives that will strengthen our chances.”
The bidding requirements place heavy emphasis on two categories:
1) Infrastructure (70% of the score, which focus on stadiums, team and referees facilities, accommodation, the IBC and competition-related events
2) Commercial (covers the remaining 30% and those are the revenue streams, with broadcasting being the most important, and the cost of organising the event.
Dr Jordaan has travelled to different locations around the globe in the last few months and lobbied for support as South Africa attempts 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. He is continuing to spread the word in Kigali.
SAFA clearly has an successful track record and delivered “the Best World Cup Ever in 2010”, which was Africa’s first and only World Cup to date.
The SAFA NEC will discuss the next steps, which will include an engagement with the new Minister of Sport, Honourable Zizi Kodwa.