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South Africa to host its first Global Goals World Cup tournament

Monday 1 October 2018
The Embassy of Ireland, Save the Children South Africa, Eir-Soccer, the Royal Danish Embassy of Denmark, Danida, and Global Communications, are among the stakeholders hosting a football tournament for women supporting the United Nations 17 Global Goals dubbed ‘Global Goals World Cup’ (GGWCup) on 13 October 2018.
 
24 teams of adolescent girls and women from across South Africa and abroad will converge at the Grassroots Soccer Alexandra Football for Hope Centre to take part in the GGWCup. The tournament sets out to use the power of sport to unite and inspire individuals all over the world to take positive actions. GGWCup football matches are played by a different set of rules, awarding points for both scoring goals as well as for the work done by the teams to support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 
“We are proud to have played such a pivotal role in negotiating the Sustainable Development Goals which provide us all, with a blue print for making the world a fairer and better place. Our Embassy’s Strategy is firmly embedded in the SDG framework with a particular focus on SDG 4 Quality Education; SDG 5 Gender Equality and SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities. The Global Goals Initiative harnesses both the power of sport and the power of youth, particularly that of young girls, to highlight the importance to us all, of the SDGs,” says Liam Mac Gabhann, Ambassador of Ireland to South Africa.
 
“The Sustainable Development Goals are ambitious and will require partnerships and focus to succeed. What better way than to use soccer, which requires cooperation on the field and focus on the ball for the team to score and succeed. The GGWCup therefore uses the power of sport in general, but soccer specifically to draw our attention to the goals and to inspire us to act,” says Gugu Ndebele, Save the Children South Africa CEO.
 
Danish Ambassador, Tobias Elling Rehfeld, says the tournament “highlights the necessity of women and girls to be at the forefront. Women and girls all over the world must be empowered, to contribute to stronger communities and societies. Ensuring women equal opportunities is absolutely crucial for reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.”
 
South Africa is the second African country after Kenya to host the tournament.  The events draw high-level political support, engaging local and international stars as referees, commentators and ambassadors.
 
NOTES TO THE EDITOR:
 
The GGWCup began in Copenhagen in 2016, as a tribute to the power of sport to change the world. The GGWCup tournaments raise awareness of the most pressing challenges across the different continents while showcasing the power of regular people to take action and address the issues.
 
The football matches are played by a different set of rules, awarding points for both scoring goals as well as working for the 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. In order for teams to qualify, they must choose one of the Global Goals to play, advocate and mobilize for.
 
In 2015, UN Member States endorsed the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), expected to guide the development agenda through 2030. The SDGs are aligned with the Government of Kenya development agenda of vision 2030 and its commitment that no one gets left behind.
 
For more information visit www.ggwcup.com/joburg2018 or contact Dianne McAlpine on 082 414 2955 or [email protected].