WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Award South Africa next Women’s World Cup to help game become global, says Jordaan
Awarding South Africa the hosting rights for the 2027 Women’s World Cup will help the game become truly global and prevent African teams falling behind the established powerhouses, the president of the country’s FA told Reuters.
South Africa are one of four candidates to host the next Women’s World Cup finals in four years’ time, up against Brazil and joint bids from Mexico and the U.S. and Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The winner will be decided by a vote of FIFA’s member associations at their congress in Bangkok next May.
Danny Jordaan, president of the South African Football Association, said his country must be allowed to host the next tournament if there is to be more equality in the world game.
“When you look at world football, the first men’s World Cup was 1930. The first World Cup in Africa was 2010. Almost 100 years later. And as a result, the gap in the men’s game between European and South American football in relation to Africa and Asia is now impossible to close,” he told Reuters in an interview
South Africa’s women are competing in Australia and New Zealand at a second successive World Cup.
They gave up a last-gasp goal on Sunday in their opening game of the tournament, going down 2-1 to Sweden in Wellington.
Jordaan hopes a compelling case about ensuring a more competitive world game will sway votes in his country’s favour.
“Of the global revenue for football, 80% goes to Europe. So Africa is on the margins. Now, if we sit back and do nothing, the same pattern will emerge in women’s football and we will struggle to close the gap.
“If we want football to be truly global, then we must increase the competitiveness of football throughout the world.”
‘STRONG BID’
South Africa’s bid proposes using the infrastructure built to host the men’s finals in 2010, when it was held on the African continent for the first time.
“We have a strong bid to hopefully secure the Women’s World Cup because that will inspire or invigorate and strengthen football for women on the continent and close that gap rather than allow the pattern to repeat itself.
“I think Africa can deliver a winner of the Women’s World Cup long before the men eventually get an African winner. Of course, Morocco made it to the semi-final in Qatar last year, but I think it’s going to be quite a challenge for Africa to eventually win a men’s World Cup. But that doesn’t mean you must give up. But I think on the women’s side, we have a greater chance,” he said.
-Reuters
Despite wintry conditions in Blida, on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, Algiers, Nigeria’s U17 girls dug their feet into the ground on Friday night.
They achieved a scoreless draw that qualified them for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals.
Holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage, the 2002 bronze medallists adopted a calm and collected pattern that easily soaked up the expected pressure from the hosts and then relied on fast breaks to try and pull the trigger on their opponents.
Although they created better chances on the night, the Flamingos failed to make dominance in possession pay, but swiftly collected the ticket to Morocco on a 4-0 aggregate win.
The difference over two legs of the final round was a remarkable display in the opening leg by the Flamingos, during which a brace by Queen Joseph and one each by Zainab Raji and substitute Aisha Animashaun ensured a 4-0 win.
The Flamingos will now be one of Africa’s five representatives (including hosts Morocco) at this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals taking place from 17th October – 5th November. The final competition will entertain 24 teams for the very first time.
Since the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup competition was launched in New Zealand in 2008, Nigeria have failed to make the finals only once – the 2018 tournament hosted by Uruguay.
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Despite heavy first leg loss, Algeria hopeful of a turnaround in Nigeria’s Flamingos clash
The Algeria U17 women’s national team still hope for a possible turnaround in this Friday night clash with Nigeria’s Flamingos.
Algeria lost 4-0 in the first leg match in Ikenne last Saturday.
The Algerians completed their preparations on Thursday at the Sidi Moussa National Technical Centre, the eve of the return match against Nigeria.
The return match is scheduled for this Friday at 8 p.m. at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida. Aggregate winners will pick a ticket to the FIFA U-17 Women’s 2025 World Cup.
According to sources in Algeria, all the players took part in the final session, during which coach Abdenour Mira finalised the tactical details for the make or mar encounter.
Despite the heavy defeat conceded in the first leg (4-0), the young Algerians approach this match with the desire to finish well and deliver an honourable performance against a formidable Nigerian team.
During the technical meeting held early in the afternoon at the FAF headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the two teams and the organisers, it was decided that Algeria will play in green, while Nigeria will wear white.
The match will be officiated by Cameroonian Aline Marie Noelle Guimbang, assisted by her compatriot Laurie Marcelle Tsafack Teikeu and Chadian Victorine Ngarassoum.
The fourth official will also be Cameroonian, Innoncentia Njang Ntangti.
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Under possible cold weather in Blida, Nigeria’s Flamingos set to grab World Cup ticket
The weather is most likely to be cold, but Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, are set to continue a tradition of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which has had eight editions, out of which the Flamingos featured in seven.
Only Japan, with 100 per cent attendance, has featured in more competitions than Nigeria’s Flamingos.
They look poised to feature again after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria in the first leg of the final qualifying series.
Apart from their opponents, Algeria, they have the expected cold weather to battle with at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida (outside Algiers), on Friday night.
Friday’s encounter against their Algerian counterparts is the final leg of a final qualifying round fixture, with the Flamingos, bronze-medallists from the 2022 finals in India and quarterfinalists from the last edition in the Dominican Republic, holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage.
The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has scheduled the match to kick off at 8 pm, at a time when the winds will begin to blow in stronger from the Mediterranean Sea.
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