Johannesburg — Safa president Danny Jordaan is banking on his previous involvements in the organising committee of the men’s World Cup to come in handy for South Africa’s bid for the 2027 women’s World Cup.
Jordaan initially made a name for himself in global football circles by being part of the teams that put together World Cups, since 2002.
His most notable involvement in the event was being the chief executive of the 2010 global showpiece in SA, where Fifa generated 53% more revenue than the 2006 edition in Germany.
So after a successful event in 2010, Safa have been targeting the women’s tournament to return to SA shores, arguing that they have the required infrastructure.
Jordaan, moreover, believes that his track record in organising a successful event speaks for itself.
“We have to wait for Gianni Infantino (Fifa president) to make the decision,” said Jordaan.
“When we met (with Infantino) in Paris, he asked for my own sense of the 2022 men's World Cup and whether there were any issues leading to the 2026 World Cup which in my view will be the most complicated and challenging.
“It’s a World Cup that will be hosted in three countries, Mexico, Canada and the United States. It’s also a World Cup that will host 48 countries for the first time. Therefore, you’ve got to have a good plan.
“2022 was my eighth World Cup. My first one was in 1994. But in my third World Cup, in 2002, I worked for Fifa. But from 2006, I started to be part of the organising committee.
“So I think I have a fair sense of what the issues are around the World Cups. So, are you going to say that I know nothing about football? Perhaps, I know a thing or two!”
While Infantino will be responsible for announcing the winning bid to host the 2027 Women's World Cup, the 211 members of Fifa will be responsible for voting for the winning host nation.
With Africa the second largest block as they boast 54 regions behind Europe who have 55, SA has a fair chance of getting the most votes if the rest of the African countries and other continents vote for them.
Jordaan, moreover, believes that it’s no brainer that Caf president Patrice Motsepe is in support of their bid. After all, he is a South African, while they are the only African country that has submitted their bid.
“You must ask him. I am not going to speak for president Motsepe. (But) he’s a South African and the Caf president. And the good thing is that there's no other African country that’s bidding,” Jordaan said.
Safa’s bid has also been backed by the minister of sport, arts and culture Zizi Kodwa, who recently said they will engage with Safa to offer support that will ensure that the event is hosted in SA.
Amid all the challenges facing SA, including economic crisis and load shedding, Jordaan says they want the face of the bid to be a woman who is up to date with all the current struggles in the country.
Meanwhile, Banyana Banyana will make their second successive appearance at the World Cup this year, eager to seal passage to the knockout stage for the first time. They are in Group H alongside Italy, Argentina and Sweden.
IOL Sport