WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Women’s World Cup: Morocco bids to host 2035 edition alongside Spain and Portugal
Spain, Morocco, and Portugal are set to submit a joint bid to host the 2035 FIFA Women’s World Cup, Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President Rafael Louzán announced at Madrid’s Rey Juan Carlos University.
“There is no better way to give visibility to women’s sports than by contributing to the world’s leading sporting event, the World Cup. We are working on this,” Louzán stated during the presentation of an Observatory on Equality.
The three countries are already collaborating to host the 2030 men’s World Cup, and this new initiative aims to strengthen their partnership in women’s football. The bid must be submitted by April 5, with detailed project proposals due one month later.
FIFA will decide the hosts for both the 2031 and 2035 Women’s World Cups during its 76th Congress in the second quarter of 2026, marking the first time two tournaments will be assigned simultaneously.
Under FIFA’s regulations, confederations are restricted in their bidding options, with CAF and UEFA eligible for the 2035 edition.
The potential bid faces competition from a joint United Kingdom proposal involving England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
South Africa has also expressed interest in hosting either the 2031 or 2035 tournament, having withdrawn its candidacy for the 2027 edition, which was awarded to Brazil.
Spain’s national women’s team coach, Montse Tomé, welcomed the announcement: “It would be a great joy if Spain could be among the options to bring the Women’s World Cup to our country. Having experienced the 2019 World Cup in France, I’ve seen how it increased attention to our national team.”
The three bidding countries currently hold different positions in the FIFA rankings, with Spain coming in second place, Portugal ranking 22nd, and Morocco in 60th place.
The joint bid builds on Morocco’s growing presence in women’s football, following the national team’s first World Cup appearance in 2023, where Spain emerged as the tournament champions.
During the second quarter of 2025, FIFA will conduct workshops and working meetings to discuss requirements and initial concepts. Final bids must be submitted in the fourth quarter of 2025, followed by evaluation processes including on-site inspection visits.
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Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, are to remain in camp as they countenance the final round of qualification series for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals, in which they confront their Algerian counterparts.
The first leg encounter will take place on Saturday, 19th April at the Remo Stars’ Stadium, Ikenne-Remo, with both teams to clash in the final leg in Algeria a week later.
2022 World Cup bronze medallists Nigeria trashed South Africa’s Bantwana 3-1 in Pretoria and followed this up with a 2-0 win in Ikenne at the weekend, for a 5-1 aggregate win that condemned the visitors to trying their luck again next year, while Nigeria progressed to the final round.
On their part, Algeria lost 1-2 to Botswana in Gaborone in the first leg but fired on all cylinders to win the return 4-0 on home soil to be eligible to confront Nigeria for a ticket to this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals in Morocco.
OTHER FINAL ROUND FIXTURES
- Kenya Vs Cameroon
- Benin Republic Vs Cameroon
- Cote d’Ivoire Vs Guinea
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Flamingos defeat Bantwana 2-0, reach FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup final round of qualifying series
Nigeria rallied to a 5-1 aggregate win over South Africa in the penultimate round of the qualifying series for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, to reach the final round slated for next month.
Two-goal heroine in the first leg, Harmony Chidi coolly nodded home from an acute angle in the 37th minute, to compound the fixture for the visitors who lost the first leg at home 1-3.
Shakirat Moshood, who scored a goal in the first leg, was the provider from a well-taken free kick on the right.
She turned provider again 11 minutes into the second half, when she found Aishat Animashaun, who lifted the ball over and above Samekelise Mthembu into the net for Nigeria’s second.
Zoe October, Thoriso Mphelo, Khmezi Khoza and captain Katleho Malebana impressed in the ranks of the Bantwana, but they could not find a way through the Nigerian defence line of Hannah Ibrahim, Jumai Adebayo, Philomena Isaiah and Favour Iheagwam.
Victory sprang the Flamingos to the final round of the qualifying race, where they face the winner of the fixture between Botswana and Algeria next month.
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As the minutes tick down to the return match of Nigeria and South Africa in the FIFA U17 World Cup qualifying duel, the head coach of the Nigerian team has declared that his playerswill not leave any room for a possible sucker punch on Saturday in Ikenne.
“We are very much aware of the fact that it is never over until it is over.
“It will be foolish to assume otherwise. Yes, we won 3-1 away in South Africa, but the contest is still alive. That is our mentality.
“That has been at the heart of our preparations since we returned from Pretoria.
“My assistants and I have been working on the team’s mental strength while drumming it into the ears of the girls that focus is key.
“No loss of concentration is allowed. Our objective is to win on Saturday and make sure of a place in the final qualifying round.”
Shakirat Moshood scored once, and Harmony Chidi netted a brace to earn Nigeria a 3-1 win in Pretoria last weekend – a seemingly comfortable position for a team hosting the return leg.
However, Cote d’Ivoire’s U17 girls showed that several things are still possible in football, when they hammered their Burundian counterparts 3-0 away after losing the first leg 3-1 in Abidjan, in these same qualifying series.
Olowookere added: “We learnt of the result of the Ivorians in the return leg against Burundi. It further underscored our insistence that the fixture is not over. There is still 90 minutes to be played, and we must play it with our hearts and maximum mental strength.”
Match officials for Saturday’s encounter, which will commence at 4 pm at the Remo Stars’ Stadium, arrived in Nigeria on Friday.
The winner of the fixture between Nigeria and South Africa will confront the winner of the fixture between Botswana and Algeria in the final qualification round, set for next month. Botswana won the first leg at home 2-1.
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God of soccer smiling at Bafana Bafana as they play all remaining World Cup qualifiers on home soil
Women’s World Cup: Morocco bids to host 2035 edition alongside Spain and Portugal
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