APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) The Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent’s governing body for the sport, has expressed its full support for Morocco’s joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
The North African nation made its decision to join Spain and Portugal in a transcontinental World Cup bid at Kigali’s FIFA Congress in March.
The decision follows Morocco’s stunning world cup campaign in Qatar last year that saw its side become the first Arab and African nation to reach the semifinals where they lost to France.
Morocco eventually finished fourth behind Croatia.
A statement signed by King Mohammed VI and read at the Kigali meeting says Morocco’s “joint bid will bring together Africa and Europe, the northern and southern Mediterranean, and the African, Arab and Euro-Mediterranean worlds.”
“It will also bring out the best in all of us – in effect, a combination of genius, creativity, experience, and means.”
“The unanimous decision that was taken by the CAF Executive Committee to support Morocco’s bid to host the FIFA World Cup 2030 means that the bid of Morocco is now the bid of the African Continent,” CAF President Patrice Motsepe said.
“We are now focusing on ensuring that Africa once more hosts the FIFA World Cup and are committed to working together with all Football National Associations and Confederations to make this happen,” he added.
The 2030 World Cup hosts are expected to be named in September 2024.
The United States, Canada, and Mexico are hosting the 2026 tournament.
Meanwhile, CAF’s executive body has also decided to open a bid for hosting the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027.
A decision was also taken, CAF says, “because of the requests by numerous CAF member associations and their governments to host the AFCON competition.”
The successful nations that will host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2025 and 2027 will be announced at the same time before September this year, according to CAF.
The CAF executive committee meeting Thursday was also updated on the substantial progress that is being made in relation to the inaugural African Super League that will kick off later this year.
Morocco’s joint bid to host the world cup received unanimous support from the executive committee of CAF – the governing body of African football.
MG/as/APA