Successful visits BNG2027 delegations to Asian Cup and African Cup of Nations

Footballicon Didier Drogba visited the presentation of the BNG-bid in Abidjan. - Foto: KNVB Media

Senior BNG officials were present in Doha, Qatar and Abidjan, Ivory Coast to attend the finals of both the AFC Asian Cup and African Cup of Nations over the weekend of 10-11 February. These events which were attended by the leadership of National Associations from across Asia and Africa provided a platform for BNG officials to share details around the bid with just over three months to go before the FIFA Congress vote for the host of the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Both finals once again highlighted the quality of Asian and African football along with the speed of development and growth the game is experiencing in both continents. The finals also offered a stark reminder of the global nature of football and the excitement, passion and support it enjoys in every part of the world.

Positive exchanges held in Doha with leaders from across Asian football

On 10 February officials from the Asian football family were hosted at the residence of the Belgian Ambassador to Qatar alongside his counterparts from The Netherlands and Germany. The gathering saw Piet Vandendriessche (General Secretary, RBFA), Gijs de Jong (General Secretary, KNVB) and Heike Ullrich (General Secretary, DFB) address ongoing efforts around deepening and strengthening relations between European and Asian football and highlight the vision BNG2027 has set around the bid. Details were provided around plans for the competition itself and the ambitions that have been set in this respect, alongside the wider focus aiming to leverage a successful BNG2027 bid to accelerate the development of women’s football globally which has been outlined in the official bid book delivered to FIFA last December.

Commenting on the event Piet Vandendriessche (CEO, RBFA), Gijs de Jong (General Secretary, KNVB) and Heike Ullrich (General Secretary, DFB) stated:

"Firstly we wish to thank Qatar and the Asian Football Confederation for their warm welcome and congratulate them on the hosting of a very successful AFC Asian Cup. Beyond that, we were delighted to meet with leaders from across Asian football to pursue our efforts to deepen our exchanges and share the vision and details around the BNG2027 bid to host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027."

"As outlined in the bid book we delivered to FIFA last December, BNG2027 has set as a central focus the aim to use the competition as a powerful driver in supporting FIFA’s ambition to deepen and accelerate the development of women’s football globally including across Asia. This event allowed us to share details around these ambitions directly with our counterparts from Asian National Associations in an atmosphere of friendship and collaboration and, crucially, learn more about their own efforts in developing women’s football and how a successful BNG2027 bid can offer support around these."

African football leadership attend BNG2027 bid event in Abidjan

Similarly, to the event held in Doha, leaders from African football gathered at the residence of the Dutch Ambassador to the Ivory Coast alongside his counterparts from Belgium and Germany on 10 February 2024. The gathering enabled Presidents and General Secretaries representing National Associations from across Africa to hear from Pascale Van Damme (President, RBFA), Marianne van Leeuwen (Vice-President KNVB), Bernd Neuendorf (President DFB) who outlined details around the deep relations that exist between European and African football in supporting ongoing efforts aimed at strengthening football’s development across both continents. The event also enabled assembled guests to hear at first hand details around the BNG2027 Vision and key elements around the bid and share details around their own aspirations and focus in developing women’s football at every level across Africa.

Commenting on the event Pascale Van Damme (President, RBFA), Marianne van Leeuwen (Vice-President, KNVB) and Bernd Neuendorf (President, DFB) stated:

"Our visit to Abidjan offered a clear reminder of the passion Africans have for the game and the ability of the Ivory Coast alongside CAF in hosting a celebration of the game in a manner which is unique. Beyond the on-field spectacle, we were delighted to use our visit to engage directly with leaders from across African football to understand their focus and aspirations around the development of the women’s game and share with them BNG’s ambition to position a successful FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027TM bid in supporting them in achieving just that."

"Our bid is shaped around two key pillars – delivering a competition of unique quality for both participating teams and fans and acting as a catalyst in accelerating the development of women’s football globally. This is the message we shared with African football’s leadership here in Abidjan."

Efforts to position BNG2027 bid to continue ahead of FIFA Congress vote

BNG officials will continue to engage with counterparts from National Associations across the world in the weeks ahead as efforts are pursued to deepen their understanding of BNG2027 ahead of the FIFA Congress vote on 17 May.

Contact

•  Website
• Facebook
• X
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

 For all enquiries media are invited to contact media@bng2027.com.