13 May 2023 – The last few days have been a whirlwind for Ms Lydia Monyepao and she has hit the ground running as the new South African Football Association (SAFA) Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
The former SAFA COO was appointed as CEO on Monday (8 May 2023) taking over from predecessor Adv Tebogo Motlanthe, who quit the position with immediate effect due to personal reasons.
Monyepao told www.www.safa.net that she immersed herself into the new role almost immediately after her appointment and besides working on urgent 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Bid deadlines, she is also tackling other football-related matters she has on her plate.
“My first week as SAFA CEO was hectic because I had to take over some of the stuff that Tebogo (former CEO Motlanthe) was doing, and also carry on with my job with regards to SAFA and South Africa’s 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Bid,” she said.
“We are also finalising the Strategic Framework we are putting together for FIFA – we have a deadline to meet on our hands around this.
“We are also speeding up our work around the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Bid for a timely submission to FIFA as well. We have got the Bid agreement that we need to submit to FIFA, so we had to look at it and understand what is required so that we can prepare for it. The next deadline is on (19 May 2023).”
FIFA requires Member Associations to confirm their interest in bidding to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup by submitting the Bidding Agreement on 19 May 2023.
SAFA announced a few days ago it is going full steam ahead with the Bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup after a successful 31st SAFA Ordinary Congress and Indaba last month.
FIFA announced that South Africa is one of the countries that have submitted an expression of interest in hosting the tournament in 2027. The expressions of interest received by FIFA are from four confederations: CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL and UEFA.
SAFA President Dr Danny Jordaan said the Association hosted a successful Indaba, workshop and Congress in Ekurhuleni last month and the delegates gave South Africa’s Bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup overwhelming support.
A SAFA delegation led by Dr Jordaan met with Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Zizi Kodwa in Cape Town on Tuesday (9 May 2023). The Department of Sports, Arts and Culture hosted a budget vote networking session and post budget activation in Cape Town on Tuesday and the SAFA President, Vice President Linda Zwane, CEO Monyepao and NEC member Tankiso Modipa gave Minister Kodwa a timeline for South Africa’s bid to host the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The new SAFA CEO’s appointment comes at a time when the Association is busy with putting together key strategies to take football in the country forward.
She is also continuing discussions with two potential sponsors, finalizing the Women’s Football strategy and also the recruitment process of the Women’s Football Manager together with SAFA HR.
