Africa-Press – South-Africa. The South African Football Association (SAFA) announced their intention to host this year’s CAF Champions League final and the CAF Women’s Champions League.
On Friday, SAFA president Danny Jordaan told the SAFA website that the wheels are in motion as South Africa bid for both events.
“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.”
SAFA have set their sights on potentially hosting the CAF Champions League final this year. South Africa has two Champions League teams, with Mamelodi Sundowns and AmaZulu flying the flag high.
Sundowns currently lead Group A standings and host Egyptian side Al Ahly at FNB Stadium on Saturday (15:00).
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Meanwhile, AmaZulu is second behind Raja Casablanca in Group B and travel to Algeria to face ES Sétif also on Saturday.
“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,” said Jordaan.
“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.
“That [the CAF Champions League final] will be in May, CAF Women’s Champions League tournament is in November, so there is a good space between the two events.”
Jordaan revealed that SAFA will also bid to host the Africa Women Cup of Nations in 2024.
“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].
“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 the 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.”
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