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08 Sports | 23 JUNE 2023
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Tumi Dlamini to lead the SA 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup Bid Committee
The South African Football Association
(SAFA) has announced Tumi
Dlamini as the chairperson of the
country’s 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup
Bid Committee.
The appointment of seasoned administrator
Russell Paul as the Bid Lead of
the Committee was also confirmed by the
Association’s CEO Lydia Monyepao at a
meeting of the SAFA NEC that took place
in Nasrec on Saturday, June 17, 2023.
Isha Johansen, a member of the FIFA
Council, CAF Vice President Kanizat
Ibrahim, and SAFA Vice President Anastasia
Tsichlas were announced as members
of the Bid Committee.
Former SAFA President Dr Molefi Oliphant
has also been announced as a member
of the Committee. SAFA is also in the
process of finalising the addition of more
members to the Committee. Dlamini is a
member of the SAFA Governance Committee
and has served in several football
committees, including the CAF Governance
Committee and 2010 FIFA World
Cup Organising Committee. She also
served on the Board of the 2013 Africa Cup
of Nations Organising Committee (AF-
CON). A lawyer by profession, Dlamini
is an admitted Attorney of the High Court
of South Africa with a multi-disciplinary
background in Corporate Law, African
Development, public policy, facilitating
strategic African and global partnerships
and corporate governance. She was the
first black woman to be appointed a partner
by an international law firm in South
Africa. She is currently an Advisor to the
African Peer Review Mechanism, an organ
of the African Union (AU) where she
leads and promotes corporate governance
policies and initiatives on the African
continent, and is also the Head of Global
Relations and Partnerships.
She has engaged with the private sector
and governments at the highest level
in several countries, including, Nigeria,
Ghana, Senegal, Egypt, Liberia, Uganda,
South Africa, Namibia, Morocco, Kenya,
Ethiopia and several others. She is a strategic
thinker who has amassed knowledge
of the political, economic and regulatory
dynamics across key markets in Africa
and globally. She currently serves on several
boards, including JSE-listed companies.
She holds a Masters in Public Administration
and Public Policy from the
Harvard Kennedy School of Government,
Harvard University, a B Social Sciences
Degree and a postgraduate degree in LLB
from the University of Cape Town. Paul
has a long history in football administration
and was once a SAFA NEC member
from the Western Cape. At SAFA, he
worked as a manager for events before he
was promoted to the position of general
manager football business. He took over
as SAFA Acting CEO in 2018 before resigning
to take up the COO position at the
Qatar FIFA World Cup last year. Upon returning
home, SAFA identified him as the
right person to spearhead the bid for the
2027 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
De Villiers amongst seven players to represent SA u/20 team
Junior Springbok captain Paul de
Villiers is amongst a group of seven
players that will represent the South
African Under-20 team for a second year
running after being named in the starting
team to face Georgia in their World Rugby
U20 Championship opener in Stellenbosch
on Saturday.
De Villiers made his Junior Bok debut
in the U20 Six Nations Summer Series
in Italy last year, along with the team’s
vice-captain Katlego Letebele, Gcinokuhle
Mdletshe, Juann Else, Cornѐ Lavagna,
Imad Khan and Neil le Roux. All seven
were included in the match day squad for
the host union’s match at the Danie Craven
Stadium in Stellenbosch.
Junior Springbok head coach Bafana
Nhleko included five uncapped players in
his starting backline and six in the pack,
with Lavagna, Mdletshe and Le Roux
playing off the bench.
Nhleko said aside from their experience,
the capped players had to show the necessary
form to make the starting team.
“We need their experience of playing test
rugby,” said Nhleko. “We do not have a
lot of players with that experience because
as a side, we don’t play many
matches against international teams, and
we are going to need them to guide us on
Saturday.
“It is important to note that they had to
select themselves in terms of their abilities
and be the best in their position as
well as having the experience.” Nhleko
hopes to give as many players as possible
an opportunity to experience international
rugby over the first two matches, but also
had Georgia in mind in naming his match
day squad: “We have seen them play and
there are a couple of things we hope to do
against them, but as important for us will
be to have the whole squad on the same
page throughout the tournament.”
With heavy rain having fallen in the region
in recent weeks, Nhleko said he is
not too concerned about the conditions,
but rather about Georgia as an opponent.
“We have been lucky to train in these really
wet conditions over the last two weeks
or so, but they don’t call these test matches
for nothing – we will be challenged by
Georgia and how we respond will be crucial,”
he said.
“We have to be able to adapt to the situation
at that moment, whether it is the
weather or what Georgia throw at us, and
I think we have a group that will be able
to react to that.”
The fact that they are hosting the tournament
is not a hindrance to the Junior
Boks, according to Nhleko, who added
that his team will be ready on Saturday:
“Playing at home is motivation and not a
burden. The guys want to play in front of
family and friends and have locals to support
them.
“Most importantly though, they will be
playing for each other as a group. If we do
the right things, the momentum and support
will grow as we go along.
“Coaches will always tell you they need
more time, but I think we are ready to
play. There is only so much that you can
do as coaches and management after all.
There will be some nerves, but I think
come Saturday this team will be ready to
go.”
The Junior Springbok team to face
Georgia in Stellenbosch:
15. Hakeem Kunene – uncapped
14. Jurenzo Julius – uncapped
13. Katlego Letebele (vice-captain) – 2
caps, 0 points
12. Ethan Hooker – uncapped
11. Masande Mtshali – uncapped
10. Jean Smith – uncapped
9. Imad Khan – 4 caps, 5 points (1 try)
8. Abulele Ndabambi – uncapped
7. Ghudian van Reenen – uncapped
6. Paul de Villiers (captain) – 4 caps, 0
points
5. JF van Heerden – uncapped
4. Coetzee Le Roux – uncapped
3. Mawande Mdanda – uncapped
2. Juann Else – 3 caps, 0 points
1. Phatu Ganyane – uncapped
Replacements:
16. SJ Kotze – uncapped
17. Corne Lavagna – 2 caps, 0 points
18. Zachary Porthen – uncapped
19. Jannes Potgieter – uncapped
20. Gcinokuhle Mdletshe – 4 caps, 0
points
21. Neil Le Roux – 3 caps, 0 points
22. Damian Markus – uncapped
23. Michael Annies – uncapped