Football
KweséESPN staff 6y

South Africa line up 2023 Women's World Cup bid

South Africa will look to add the FIFA Women's World Cup to their hosting records, according to football boss Danny Jordaan, who feels the infrastructure is already in place to stage the 2023 global event.

The country became the first African nation to host a men's FIFA World Cup when they welcomed the world in 2010, and Jordaan is determined to add the women's showpiece to the list as well.

The SAFA president, who was re-elected to his post last week, told assembled media on Thursday that bidding for the Women's World Cup, along with the Under-20 edition, was a priority for the board in the coming months.

"There are a few major events that we want to bid for," Jordaan said, as quoted by Citizen. "The first is the Women's World Cup.

"It is said that once you host the FIFA World Cup like we did in 2010, in terms of infrastructure and facilities you are compliant for any major event. But the longer you wait there is a gap between the best facilities and what you had a long time ago. It is already eight years since we hosted. 

"We decided that if you look at the US, they hosted the World Cup in 1994 and the Women's World Cup in 1999 because FIFA understood that they tick all the boxes and could go there.

"If you get the Women's World Cup, you automatically also get the Under-20 Women's World Cup. Now we are putting together a bid committee who must look at the feasibility of the Women's World Cup."

The South African players, however, have a shorter-term target. They need to finish in the top three at the African Women's Championship in Ghana later this year in order to qualify for the 2019 edition. It would be Banyana Banyana's first appearance at a World Cup.

France will host the women's event next year, with the USA as the defending champions. The USWNT won the 2015 event in Canada by beating Japan 5-2 in the final, thanks to a hat-trick by Carli Lloyd inside the first 16 minutes.

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