Africa advocate reintroduction of World Cup hosting rotation
Thu Jun 14, 2018 02:54:pm Sports
4.3K By Obiaks Blog
African delegates are keen for Fifa to reintroduce a rotation system for World Cup hosting after Morocco failed to land the 2026 World Cup.
The North Africans lost out to the triple Canada, Mexico and United States bid, which won Wednesday's vote by 134 votes to 65.
"Rotation would be a solution," said Malawi FA president Walter Nyamilandu.
"We should ask for an amendment to the bidding process that would allow rotation to come back," added Liberia FA president Musa Bility.
By the time the 2026 finals take place, Africa will have hosted just one of 23 World Cups - while Mexico alone will have staged three separate tournaments.
The 2010 finals in South Africa only came about after football's world governing body introduced a rotation system in 2001.
This was pushed through by former Fifa president Sepp Blatter in response to South Africa's narrow defeat in its attempt to stage the 2006 World Cup, which eventually took place in Germany.
Bility believes Fifa could be tempted by the reintroduction of the system, which was abandoned in 2007.
"I think this would be acceptable to Fifa because the World Cup is about taking football to the people," the Confederation of African Football Executive Committee member told BBC Sport.
"There is inequality in the status of countries around the world so you need laws that will allow the tournament to rotate. You saw the margin of the vote – there was no way Morocco was going to win."
Liberia was one of several African countries which did not vote for the Moroccan bid.
Morocco's comprehensive defeat to the "United Bid" has left several African delegates wondering when, if ever, the continent will stage football's greatest event again.
BBC
The North Africans lost out to the triple Canada, Mexico and United States bid, which won Wednesday's vote by 134 votes to 65.
"Rotation would be a solution," said Malawi FA president Walter Nyamilandu.
"We should ask for an amendment to the bidding process that would allow rotation to come back," added Liberia FA president Musa Bility.
By the time the 2026 finals take place, Africa will have hosted just one of 23 World Cups - while Mexico alone will have staged three separate tournaments.
The 2010 finals in South Africa only came about after football's world governing body introduced a rotation system in 2001.
This was pushed through by former Fifa president Sepp Blatter in response to South Africa's narrow defeat in its attempt to stage the 2006 World Cup, which eventually took place in Germany.
Bility believes Fifa could be tempted by the reintroduction of the system, which was abandoned in 2007.
"I think this would be acceptable to Fifa because the World Cup is about taking football to the people," the Confederation of African Football Executive Committee member told BBC Sport.
"There is inequality in the status of countries around the world so you need laws that will allow the tournament to rotate. You saw the margin of the vote – there was no way Morocco was going to win."
Liberia was one of several African countries which did not vote for the Moroccan bid.
Morocco's comprehensive defeat to the "United Bid" has left several African delegates wondering when, if ever, the continent will stage football's greatest event again.
BBC
Related News
Leave a comment...