South Africa had the honour of becoming the first country on the continent to host the FIFA World Cup, doing so with success back in 2010. Since then, the country has hosted various other competitions and now they are looking to host this season’s CAF Champions League final, as the association confirmed that they would make a bid to have the final played on South African soil.
“We are following the success of both AmaZulu and Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League and of course both of them are doing well,” SAFA president Danny Jordaan was quoted as saying on the association’s website.
“This weekend’s [CAF Champions League] group matches with Mamelodi Sundowns against Al Ahly, and with AmaZulu currently in Algeria, will determine their positions and they may also go into the final round.
“So, we hope that at least one of the two, but hopefully both of them will make it to the final. It would be just wonderful to host the CAF Champions League final with a South African team or both South African teams in the final. We will be watching and submitting an application for the CAF Champions League final as well.
SAFA are also looking to have the next CAF Women’s Champions League competition to be played in South Africa.
“We have indicated to CAF that we are quite keen to host the second edition of the CAF Women’s Champions League on the basis that it would be wonderful for the defending champions, Mamelodi Sundowns Ladies, to defend their crown on home soil in South Africa,” he said.
“So we are keeping our fingers crossed because we do not know who else will submit a bid, but we as SAFA are definitely going to submit a bid.”
That’s not all. SAFA are looking to host the 2024 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations. Morocco will host this year’s edition.
“As far as the Africa Women Cup of Nations is concerned, we [Banyana Banyana] have qualified for the 2022 tournament in Morocco [from 2 July to 23 July]. Our team made it to the final in Ghana [in 2018 where they lost to Nigeria on penalties].
“They are going to Morocco, and we are hoping they will be in the final of this competition. Certainly, they must qualify for the World Cup. On that basis, we have indicated to CAF we are keen to host the 2024 Women’s Cup of Nations. We will be discussing this matter with the minister of sport, Minister Nathi Mthethwa, and ask government to give us support to make that bid because it is not a once-off match, it is a tournament.
“Therefore, we need to get government support for the bid to host the Afcon for women in 2024. I think we should have a significantly strong team by then to hopefully be in the final and win it.”
