South Africa have removed themselves as potential hosts for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.

South Africa were approached by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to be emergency hosts of the competition which is set to be held next year. 

The approach comes after Congo, the previously elected hosts, pulled out in July.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) have said they are instead focusing their attention on their bid to be hosts of the next Women’s World Cup in 2023.

Acting-chief executive of SAFA, Gay Mokoena, said: “We are not going to express an interest in this.

“We are instead trying to focus our efforts on the 2023 women’s World Cup. I will write to CAF to advise them that we will not express any interest to host this tournament.”

Instead, South Africa will be focusing on meeting the 13 December deadline to provide their detailed bid plans for the 2023 World Cup.

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South Africa is one of 12 countries bidding to be elected as hosts. The other official candidates are Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Japan, South Korea and North Korea, Argentina, New Zealand and Bolivia.

Africa has never had an entry in the official bidding process for the competition and South Africa is bidding to be the first of the continent to do so.

CAF has now been forced to reopen the hosting bid with a new formal tender to bidders to seek a new host.

No confirmed dates are set for the tournament as yet, however, it is likely to be held as in previous years from mid-November to early December of 2020.

The last version of the tournament was held in 2018 in Ghana, South Africa lost in the final to champions Nigeria. The Nigerian women’s side has won every edition of the competition since its inception in 1991.