South Africa will bid to stage the 2027 Fifa Women’s World Cup, hoping to bring the event to Africa for the first time.
South Africa was the first – and so far only – country on the continent to host the men’s World Cup, in 2010.
“The NEC (National Executive Committee) has resolved that we must bid to host the World Cup for women in 2027,” South African Football Association (Safa) chief executive Tebogo Motlanthe said.
“We as [an] administration will duly inform Fifa and then start the process of hosting the World Cup.”
In July, South Africa became African champions for the first time after beating hosts Morocco in the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat.
Almost two years ago Netherlands, Belgium and Germany launched a joint bid for the 2027 competition, and that will be among the South African proposal’s principle rivals.
A joint Scandinavian bid has also been floated, but with Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden bidding together to host the 2025 European Championship, the continental tournament could take precedence.
Those four countries had previously explored a bid for the 2027 World Cup alongside Iceland and the Faroe Islands.
Meanwhile, the United States has also indicated a desire to bid for either the 2027 or 2031 World Cups.
Next year’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand will be the first finals with 32 teams, an increase of eight teams from France 2019.
It will also leave Africa and South America as the only populated continents never to have staged the Women’s World Cup.
Safa had been in the running for the 2023 World Cup but pulled out, claiming it wanted to focus on developing the women’s national league.
South Africa’s women’s side, Banyana Banyana, went out in the group stage on their first appearance at the World Cup in 2019. (BBC)
