Inside AFCON 2013: Sponsors Spotlight
January 22, 2013
With the 2013 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations kicking off in South Africa this week, iSportconnect looks at the sponsors and partners behind Africa’s largest football tournament.
Orange
Orange has again become the official partner of the tournament and are currently the title sponsor of The Africa Cup of Nations. The mobile network has made great strides in Africa and currently sponsors the national teams in Cameroon, Mali, Niger, Guinea, Senegal, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Botswana.
The company has now secured the title rights to the tournament until 2016 and is also the media partner of African football, offering exclusive mobile content across the continent. Orange has an added interest in this year’s competition, with a number of the teams competing, coming from areas where they operate their network, including; Tunisia, Morocco, Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mali and the Ivory Coast.
Orange are continuing their efforts to become a major player in African football sponsorship and have a number of services available to fans throughout the tournament. One of these is the Football Fan Club, a mobile platform that provides news, games and forums about African and European football. The service has approximately two million users.
There’s also the Orange AFCON madness that gives fans the chance to win packages and match tickets. The mobile provider also has an app for smartphone users, allowing fans to keep up-to-date with match highlights and goals.
In an effort to make sure the tournament is accessible to as many people as possible, “Orange Villages” have been set-up in many of the major cities where the group operate. These villages are designed to create a festival atmosphere, that broadcast games on giant screens and provide games and football related competitions.
In an official statement, Orange said:“It is with great pride that Orange associates its brand with various African competitions and this proximity is associated with human values shared in African sports. This achievement is a celebration of the closeness of the brand to the African markets.”
Adidas
Adidas is the long standing partner to the Confederation of African Football (CAF). The latest agreement was signed in 2008 and runs until 2016, meaning Adidas will provide the CAF with sports equipment for their events and programs, including courses for coaches, referees, sports medicine and football administration.
African football fans chose the name of the AFCON 2013 ball, made by Adidas. The ball is called Katlego, which means success. Zobuzwe Ngobese, PR Manager at Adidas South Africa said: “Adidas is proud to be at the helm of the production and the naming of yet one more South African inspired official match ball following the resounding successes of both the Kopanya and Jabulani match balls. This will be Adidas’ fourth official match ball for the AFCON since its partnership with the federation in 2008.”
Puma
Earlier in January, sports retail giant Puma, bagged the rights to become the Official Fan Supplier at AFCON 2013.
The deal allows Puma to develop and distribute sportswear, apparel and accessories that carry the Orange Africa Cup of Nations logo, as well as the chance to control retail stores, vending stands and kiosks in and around the stadiums.
They have partnered up with Totalsports to complete the retail side of the deal, with Totalsports managing the official fan shops and distributing the official fan merchandise.
Puma has a strong heritage with African football that stretches back almost two decades and has grown progressively over the years. Since 1998, Puma has had an association with the continent, investing in grassroots projects, player relationships and African Federation partnerships.
Brett Bellinger, Marketing Director for Puma South Africa commented: “This partnership with CAF’s major competition is very positive for the brand. We’re very pleased to be able to work together with CAF to provide African football fans in both South Africa and those visiting for the tournament, an opportunity to show their support and purchase Official Fan Merchandise.”
iSportconnect covered the news as it happened and further details of the deal can be found here>>
PepsiCo, the global food and drink company is also a sponsor for AFCON 2013. The company has been involved in African football for a number of years, through player sponsorship, teams and promoting grassroots football. PepsiCo sponsors top African players such as Didier Drogba, Mohamed Abu Treika and Egypt’s Amr Zaki.
The Pepsi Football Academy in Nigeria has 14 centres and 3000 students, whilst the Pepsi Schools’ League in Egypt covers over 5,500 schools with around 75,000 student participants. This shows the company’s dedication to grassroots football in Africa.
PepsiCo’s sponsorship of AFCON 2013 continues their previous involvement and highlights their strong presence with the continent’s governing body, CAF. They have a partnership deal that runs until 2016, which covers all of CAF’s major championships.
Click on page 2 for more major sponsors…