Governing Bodies
2023 WOMEN’S WORLD CUP SET TO GO ‘DOWN UNDER’ AS SOUTH AFRICA WITHDRAWS
As the formal bid for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup closes this Friday, South Africa has sensationally withdrawn from the race, opening the way for Australia and New Zealand who have now merged their bids into one.
With that, the competition is set to go ‘Down Under’, a colloquialism that refers to Australia and New Zealand.
It comes from the fact that these two countries are located in the Southern Hemisphere, ‘below’ many other countries on the globe.
South Africa’s withdrawal came less than 24 hours to the deadline for submitting bid books.
The South African Football Association (SAFA) claimed it wants to focus on improving the women’s game, particularly the fledgling national league, before bidding for another international tournament,
But SAFA has been in dispute recently with South Africa’s Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa, whose support they would need to secure Government guarantees.
South Africa as a country is also facing economic problems.
“We resolved that as an Association we should not proceed with the bid,” SAFA acting chief executive Hay Mokoena told Reuters.
“We want to strengthen our women’s national league first before we invite the world to come and play.
“Definitely, we will consider doing 2027 and we think, by that time, we will have a stronger women’s league and a much stronger women’s national team.”
Australia and New Zealand, meanwhile, have decided to join forces in their bid to host the 2023 women’s tournament after reaching an 11th-hour agreement before tomorrow’s deadline.
The joint bid is proposing to host the final of the quadrennial international women’s tournament in Sydney, at the newly renovated 75,000 capacity ANZ Stadium in the Olympic Park.
The Football Federation Association had recently abandoned plans to submit a standalone bid for the competition as it believes, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, that the best chance to beat the bids from Japan and Colombia was to join forces with its neighbour New Zealand.
FIFA’s decision to expand the tournament from 24 to 32 teams was apparently not a factor, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
The Japan Football Association (JFA) has also confirmed they have submitted their bid.
“We don’t want to one-up other bids, and we don’t want to compare ourselves to other bids,” JFA President Kozo Tashima told the Japan Times.
“We’ve submitted a bid that contains the best tournament Japan can run.
“Between next year’s Olympics, the professionalisation of the women’s league from 2021 and this Women’s World Cup, we want to give a significant boost to women’s soccer and that is why this bid is so important.
“With Japan’s proven ability to host international tournaments and our spirit of omotenashi (hospitality), we want to put on a Women’s World Cup that will bring joy not only to participating nations, but to us as hosts.”
Japan’s bid features eight stadiums, including the recently completed National Stadium and seven football-specific venues.
Those sites include the new Kyoto Stadium, which will serve as the home of the J. League’s Kyoto Sanga from 2020, and Rugby World Cup hosts Sapporo Dome, Toyota Stadium and Kobe Misaki Stadium.
Saitama Stadium, another Tokyo Olympic venue, as well as Sendai Stadium and Suita Stadium also made the list.
“FIFA requested a tournament with eight venues, and adding one more would increase costs significantly,” Tashima said.
“We’re a small country and can take advantage of our transit system, including the bullet train and air routes.
“With eight stadiums we can run a smooth tournament and keep our costs down.”
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and possibly South Korea – maybe in a joint bid with North Korea – are the other interested parties, with the successful candidate due to be announced in May.
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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