The South African Football Association (Safa) is looking for a high-profile local woman to lead the association’s bid for the 2027 Women’s World Cup.
Safa is intensifying its bid for the 2027 show piece and is looking for individuals who can become the face and ambassadors of the project in its quest to bring the women’s World Cup to Africa for the first time.
Ideally, Safa is looking for local women with international pedigree and credentials to take charge of this massive task.
Insiders have mentioned that it is only appropriate that a woman is tasked to head this bid assignment.
The names of Kaizer Chiefs’ marketing boss Jessica Motaung and renowned TV presenter Carol Tshabalala have been bandied about in the corridors.
Safa has a proven track record when it comes to bidding for such projects. They ran a successful 2010 World Cup bid that resulted in Mzansi hosting the first-ever Fifa World Cup on the African continent. Irvin Khoza, Danny Jordaan and Molefi Oliphant were the “Three Musketeers” in charge of the bid processes, and later the local organising committee.
The 2027 bid is gaining momentum and Safa will be canvassing and campaigning at this year’s women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The bid also received a major boost after the government expressed support for Safa’s plan.
Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture Nathi Mthethwa sent a letter to the Safa president, saying the department was proud to support the bid to host the global showpiece. The South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee is also supporting and endorsing the football’s federations’ intention of hosting this World Cup.
“First, we need to start with an internal team to look at the bid process itself. We do not have names yet.
“So, once we have met, after coming back from a Fifa workshop in France, we will sit down and chart the way forward as to how we want to handle the bid – and that is where those kind of people are going to be identified,” said Safa CEO Tebogo Motlanthe.
“At that level, you need someone with an international profile, pedigree and integrity.
“It does not have to be football people, it can also be executives in the corporate world.
“We are confident but we need all hands on deck and must work very hard to get it.
“I cannot comment on the names yet, but those people you mentioned – Motaung and Tshabalala – maybe they can form part of the team.”
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