During
FIFA`s Secretary General, Fatma Samoura two-days visit to Sierra Leone where
she had a meeting with the country’s President Ernest Bai Koroma, sports
ministry officials and executive committee members of the Sierra Leone Football Association.
She said that FIFA would support Sierra Leone if they bid for the right to host
the 2018 Under-17 Women’s World Cup.
In her meeting with members of the press in Freetown, Madam
Samoura said: “I bring good news about the possibility for Sierra Leone to host
the next FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.”
“I have promised President Koroma that FIFA will support Sierra
Leone if they bid. We’ll make sure that they have all the tools and mechanism
and the means you need to get that competition hosted by the country.”
Madam Samoura said it would be an opportunity for Sierra Leone
to host such tournament, which will be the first African nation to do so since
its inception in 2008 when New Zealand hosted it.
Trinidad and Tobago, Azerbaijan, Costa Rica and Jordan have all
hosted the 16 team’s biennial international women’s youth football championship
and the FIFA Secretary further revealed that she has got the assurance from the
country’s sports minister to support the idea of having the tournament in the
West Africa nation.
“I’m sure we will be linking up with the SLFA President, Isha
Johansen to make it a reality and when I come to Sierra Leone next time I hope
it is to declare to the rest of the world that Sierra Leone has been successful
in bidding to host the 2018 U-17 Women’s World Cup,” she said.
Sierra Leone has never hosted any senior or junior major
international football tournament under the umbrella of FIFA and possibility in
winning such bid would be a big boost for the country.
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