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The Confederation of African Football’s leadership will try Wednesday to convince South Africa to vote for Morocco’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup, officials told Reuters Tuesday.
The decision comes as South Africa has been threatening to vote for the North American bid led by the United States.
Head of the African football confederation Ahmad Ahmad is expected to persuade the South African Football Association’s representatives to back the Moroccan bid in Johannesburg.
Last week, SAFA president Danny Jordaan told media that his country has not decided yet on whether it wants to support Moroccan bid or not. Earlier that week, South African Sports Minister Tokozile Xasa stressed that the country will not back the Kingdom’s bid.
On the 16th of April, Danny Jordaan told a Moroccan delegation presided by the Moroccan Royal Football Federation Fouzi Lekjaa that «he will personally lobby» other African officials before the vote to help the Kingdom defeat the North American joint bid.
«We are very clear that we can’t support Morocco. Our parliament was very straightforward in this regard‚ it is the mandate of the country and it is an obligation for sporting bodies to understand what the country’s agenda is», Xasa said.
South Africa’s opinion about the Moroccan bid has taken a confusing turn for Morocco, which is trying to get the support of African countries before the vote scheduled for June the 13th in Russia.
«The vote is on June 13 in Moscow and we will vote according to the mandate that we will get from the NEC», said Jordaan who contradicted the Sport Minister’s stance firmly confirming that «parliament was very straightforward in this regard‚ it is the mandate of the country and it is an obligation for sporting bodies to understand what the country’s agenda is».
South Africa and Morocco are not the best allies in the African continent. Morocco has summoned its Ambassador in Pretoria in 2004 when the country recognized the «independence of Western Sahara».
