2 August 2023 – Banyana Banyana’s march to the second round of the FIFA Women’s World Cup will serve as inspiration when a SAFA delegation meets with the football governing body in Sydney, Australia on Thursday (3 August 2023) to talk up South Africa’s interest in hosting the global tournament in 2027.
The SAFA delegation, comprising of President Dr Danny Jordaan, SAFA CEO Lydia Monyepao, 2027 Bid Committee chair Tumi Dlamini, Bid Lead Russell Paul and SAFA Women’s Head Romaney Pinnock, are in the Australia city to impress upon FIFA as to why it is important for South Africa to be awarded the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The other bidding aspirants to host the tournament – Brazil, joint bids from Mexico and the United States, and then Belgium, Netherlands and Germany – will also be in attendance to state their own cases.
“This is the first time that the Bid Committee will meet with the leadership of FIFA since SAFA made its submission in March. While there will likely be other opportunities for meetings of this nature in future, I strongly believe that first impressions last,” said Bid Committee chair Dlamini.
“So, it is going to be critical for us to make the most compelling case for why the FIFA Women’s World Cup must be hosted in Africa for the very first time. Other bidding nations will be present and we will likely be able to meet them and have engagements with them as well. But the most important thing is for us to keep our eyes on the ball, the big prize. Whilst it might be very tempting to see what their proposition is, our objective this week is to make a case for South Africa. And that is where our focus will be.”
Dlamini said while it is still early days, the strong South African delegation would make their case to FIFA. “I have no doubt that with the strong delegation that we have, ours will be a successful mission. Having said this, it is still early days in the bidding process. This first step, although crucial, is not by any means the most determining step. There is much still to be done by the Committee both at home and abroad in terms of our campaign. We have a lot to do with the support of the people of Suth Africa and the whole continent,” she continued.
“It will also be crucial to make a compelling social case along with the business case for the World Cup to be hosted in South Africa. Like all major decisions being made by large institutions and corporations the world over, every business decision must be premised on the fact that such a decision will have a lasting social impact on society. There can be no better place than in Africa for FIFA to demonstrate its commitment to women empowerment and transformation of the life of a girl child.”