CAF President Patrice Motsepe has named an African country he would like to host the World Cup. Speaking at CAF final press conference after Nigeria's AFCON semifinal win over South Africa at the Bouate Stadium, the African football chief said he would support Nigeria to put in a bid to host the World Cup.
"Nigeria must put in a bid. The Nigerian president (Bola Tinubu) is coming to watch the final on Sunday. I will have a conversation with him about it,” Motsepe said.
Nigeria last hosted a major FIFA tournament in 2009 when they hosted the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. A year later, South Africa became the first African country to host the FIFA Men's World Cup after FIFA exclusively opened the bidding process to only African nations in 2004.
Morocco and Egypt were among the bidding nations who submitted their bids to host the tournament but lost to South Africa.
Since Africa hosted the World Cup, the tournament has been taken to South America, where it was hosted by Brazil in 2014, then Europe in Russia in 2018, and recently Asia in Qatar in 2022. The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada, with a bulk of the match to be played in the USA.
The 2030 edition will be the first to be co-hosted by two continents, comprising of Africa and Europe. Morocco will jointly host the tournament with Spain and Portugal.
Hence, Nigeria could be the third African country to host the World Cup after South Africa and Morocco if they win the right to host the tournament.
Motsepe was apparently tipping the most populous black nation in the world to put in the bid for the tournament following the Super Eagles standout campaign in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria have emerged as one of the best teams in the tournament, conceding only two goals from the group stages to the final.
Motsepe was live at the Bouate Stadium with Nigeria Vice President Kashim Shettima when the Super Eagles defeated South Africa on penalties to qualify for the final of the tournament and set up the 2023 AFCON final clash against Cote D'Ivoire.
"Nigeria must put in a bid. The Nigerian president (Bola Tinubu) is coming to watch the final on Sunday. I will have a conversation with him about it,” Motsepe said.
Nigeria last hosted a major FIFA tournament in 2009 when they hosted the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. A year later, South Africa became the first African country to host the FIFA Men's World Cup after FIFA exclusively opened the bidding process to only African nations in 2004.
Morocco and Egypt were among the bidding nations who submitted their bids to host the tournament but lost to South Africa.
Since Africa hosted the World Cup, the tournament has been taken to South America, where it was hosted by Brazil in 2014, then Europe in Russia in 2018, and recently Asia in Qatar in 2022. The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada, with a bulk of the match to be played in the USA.
The 2030 edition will be the first to be co-hosted by two continents, comprising of Africa and Europe. Morocco will jointly host the tournament with Spain and Portugal.
Hence, Nigeria could be the third African country to host the World Cup after South Africa and Morocco if they win the right to host the tournament.
Motsepe was apparently tipping the most populous black nation in the world to put in the bid for the tournament following the Super Eagles standout campaign in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria have emerged as one of the best teams in the tournament, conceding only two goals from the group stages to the final.
Motsepe was live at the Bouate Stadium with Nigeria Vice President Kashim Shettima when the Super Eagles defeated South Africa on penalties to qualify for the final of the tournament and set up the 2023 AFCON final clash against Cote D'Ivoire.