AFCON
New Lease Of Life And Energy To Score Goals Restored As Life Beer, Zagg Energy Malt, And Goldberg Galvanise Super Eagles To Glory Path –
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
It is another match day and another opportunity to renew the support for Nigeria’s lead sports brand, the Super Eagles. They are already at cusp of another continental honour as they engage the Palancas Negras of Angola in the quarter-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
“Yes, we want the Super Eagles to go all out on Friday against Angola, that is why we are galvanizing all the support for the team,” said Head of Marketing Communications, Nigerian Breweries Plc, Sandra Amachree.
From an initial state of despondency, life has returned to the dreams of Nigerians whose team, the Super Eagles are at the brink of winning their fourth Africa Cup of Nations title in Cote d’Ivoire.
Barely a month ago, hopes were sagging. Not thanks to a run of winless matches. Even their most ardent fans had lost hope.
What a turnaround it has been! The team is just three matches away from becoming African champions again.
They had survived the spate of upsets that had swept away teams that were even higher rated in FIFA’s latest ranking.
Great thanks to their most ardent corporate backers, the Nigeria Breweries Plc whose supporting brands – Goldberg Lager Beer, Life Continental Beer, and Zagg Energy Malt Drink have combined as worthy partners of the Super Eagles.
Over a thousand viewing outlets in bars across Nigeria to galvanize support for Super Eagles
Now the team can be home away from home as the three official partner brands supported the members of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club to Cote d’Ivoire to sheer the Super Eagles.
Even while playing against the hosts, Cote d’Ivoire in their second group match, the chants, the drumming, and the singing of the Nigeria Breweries sponsored cheerleaders drowned that of the hosts.
On Thursday, the eve of the quarter-finals, the Nigerian Breweries powered Nigerian Football Supporters’ Club in Abidjan as well as football icon, Segun Odegbami went round the streets of Abidjan for mobilisation and sensitization of Nigerians in that country to raise the support base for the Super Eagles.
“That’s just one of the direct supports we have given the Super Eagles,” remarked Sandra Amachree, the Head of Marketing Communications at Nigerian Breweries Plc.
There are more activations by the Nigerian Breweries who have been partnering with the Nigeria Football Federation and all the Nigerian football teams since February 2018.
The support has not been limited to just the theatre of action in Cote d’Ivoire. The spirits of the Super Eagles followers have been lifted by the Nigerian Breweries through the Life Continental Beer and Goldberg.
In lending a lease of life, Life Continental Beer unveiled a campaign – Jee‘ Turo Ugo – a clarion call that conveys the message ‘Go For Glory’ for not just the Super Eagles but most of their fans, especially those in Southeast Nigeria where the Life Continental Beer is the first choice for connoisseurs.
Apart from the direct support to the Super Eagles through the partnership with the NFF as well as to the supporters in Cote d’Ivoire through the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Life Continental Beer, like Goldberg also galvanize local support by getting fans engaged and rewarding their support through activation at several bars across the country. In all, there are 1,200 outlets.
The branding is shared among the three products of the Nigerian Breweries while consideration was also placed on the regions where brands are most popular.
Chima Dim, the Senior Brand Manager, Life Continental illustrated this when he remarked that the theme: Jee‘ Turo Ugo was chosen for Life Continental Beer because of the brand’s popularity in South East. “It is our way of mustering support for the Super Eagles through the clarion call of ‘Go for Glory”, Chima Dim asserted.
As the excitement reaches the quarter-final stage with Nigeria meeting old foes, in Angola this Friday, the clarion call will even be louder.
“Goldberg is ready to amplify the cheers, fuel the passion, and witness history in the making”, remarked Senior Brand Manager Goldberg, Kunle Aroyehun whose brand is very popular in South West Nigeria.
Goldberg will not relent on its support. We will propel the Super Eagles to win their fourth title”, said Aroyehun.
Amachree added that the excitement around the AFCON tournament is increasing as the Super Eagles are progressing.
After Friday’s match, the team is expected to get to the final stages as 20 other initial participants would have fallen out.
With the increased chances of yet another podium finish for the Super Eagles, the trio of Goldberg, Life Beer, and Zagg are matching the tempo with increased activations.
Goldberg, the iconic Nigerian lager, is not just raising the volume across selected viewing centres; they’re also raising the stakes with their interactive Fantasy League Challenge (FLC).
Fans can predict match outcomes and score points, with top predictors walking away with amazing prizes.
The “OmoluabiGameOn” campaign goes further, encouraging predictions and rewarding loyal supporters with the hashtag #OmoluabiGameOn.
For Life Continental, the official beer of the Super Eagles, it is bringing the taste of victory to fans across the country.
With special viewing events and exciting in-bar activations, Life is ensuring that every fan feels the electrifying atmosphere of the game, raising a glass (or two) to their favourite team
ZAGG, known for its vibrant energy drinks, has transformed into a symbol of passionate support for the Super Eagles.
The Energy Drink with Malt is ensuring the Eagles feel the full force of the nation’s support behind them.
“If there is one thing that brings smiles to the face of Nigerians, it is football, so that is why we are going this extra mile,” the Nigerian Breweries Plc Head of Marketing Communications added.
With the unwavering support of these three powerful brands, the Super Eagles enter the Angola clash armed with more than just their talent and skills.
T hey carry the hopes and dreams of a nation, fuelled by the electrifying energy of ZAGG, the refreshing spirit of Life Beer, and the winning mentality of Goldberg.
The African Football Confederation (CAF) and Royal Air Maroc (RAM) have sealed a historic strategic partnership that grants Morocco’s national airline the status of “Official Global Partner” for upcoming major African football competitions.
The agreement was signed Saturday morning in Casablanca, in the presence of Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) President Fouzi Lekjaâ.
This partnership encompasses several prestigious tournaments, including the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (AFCON) 2025 (December 21, 2025 – January 18, 2026) and CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations Morocco (WAFCON) 2024 (July 5-26, 2025).
The agreement also covers CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations 2025, CAF Champions League 2024/2025 Finals, CAF Confederation Cup 2024/2025 Finals, and the CAF Women’s Champions League 2025.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe voiced enthusiasm about the collaboration.
“We are excited about the partnership between CAF and Royal Air Maroc, a world-class airline that will provide comfort and fly NationalTeams participating in the CAF competitions,” he said.
“We are confident that the CAF Africa Cup of Nations Morocco 2025 will be the most successful AFCON in the history of this competition.”
The agreement strengthens RAM’s footprint across Africa and globally, solidifying its role as a strategic gateway between Africa and the rest of the world. It also aligns with Morocco’s emergence as an international sports hub, with the country preparing to host AFCON 2025 and co-host the FIFA World Cup 2030.
RAM’s Chairman and CEO Hamid Addou stated: “This historic partnership with CAF aligns fully with our strategic vision as an airline deeply rooted in Africa and committed to its development.”
“Royal Air Maroc doesn’t just connect destinations; it builds bridges between cultures and passions. By supporting the continent’s biggest football competitions, we reaffirm our role as a facilitator of human and sporting exchanges,” he continued.
500,000 supporters expected
Beyond its partnership role, RAM will implement an exceptional operational system to meet increased demand during CAF competitions. The airline plans to welcome over 500,000 supporters for AFCON 2025.
“We believe we will surpass this figure by far,” revealed Addou. “We will be ready to accommodate these supporters across Royal Air Maroc’s entire network.”
The airline intends to double seat capacity from qualified countries already served by RAM, such as Dakar, Abidjan, Cairo, Tunis, Bamako, Lagos, and Douala.
RAM will also intensify flight frequencies from European cities with large African communities, including Paris, Brussels, Milan, London, Marseille, Lyon, Madrid, and Barcelona.
Additionally, the airline will establish a dedicated program for domestic air transport of national teams, shuttling them between their base camps and host cities.
This positioning establishes RAM as the primary connector between Africa and Europe through its Casablanca hub. FRMF President Fouzi Lekjaâ noted that the contract “reinforces Royal Air Maroc’s first-rate leadership role in Africa.”
“Royal Air Maroc is no stranger to football,” Lekjaâ added. “It has always supported generations of our athletes and footballers here in Morocco.”
“With this expertise and experience, they will contribute significantly to making AFCON 2025 Morocco exceptional, a historic turning point in African football, cultural coexistence and African cultural exchange,” he concluded.
Addou stressed RAM’s commitment to African unity: “We are all extremely proud to be African, and in every corner of this vast and magnificent continent, we share the same ambition—to actively contribute to Africa’s development and influence.”
The RAM CEO concluded by inviting everyone to upcoming CAF calendar events: “We’ll see you very soon for the great moments ahead in the CAF calendar, particularly the Women’s AFCON starting in July and, of course, the men’s AFCON, which kicks off on December 25.”
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The presidents of the regional councils concerned by the hosting of the matches of the Africa Cup of Nations (Morocco-2025) unanimously affirmed that the implementation of infrastructure projects in anticipation of this continental event “is progressing at a sustained pace”, declaring themselves “fully mobilized” to crown with success the major sporting events scheduled in the Kingdom.
They specified, in statements to the press in Rabat following a meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Interior devoted to the assessment of the progress of the construction and rehabilitation works of the stadiums, that major sports infrastructure projects are underway in the six host cities: Rabat, Casablanca, Tangier, Fez, Marrakech and Agadir.
The President of the Casablanca-Settat Regional Council, Abdellatif Maâzouz, announced that the projects planned for upcoming international sporting events, in particular the 2025 African Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, “are proceeding under good conditions.”
The projects related to the organisation of the AFCON will be ready by next July at the latest, he assured, specifying that there is a clear vision regarding the preparations underway for the AFCON and the 2030 World Cup, both in terms of equipment and organisational arrangements related to human resources and animation.
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AFCON
‘Land of Football’ is ‘Kingdom of Light’ as Moroccan Tourism Office and Football Federation Strike Accord
BY KUNLE SOLAJA.
Morocco’s football federation and tourism office have signed a groundbreaking agreement to establish the country as a major football and tourism destination leading to the milestone 2030 World Cup when the global football tournament clocks a century.
The Moroccan football body and the Tourism Office are building on the national team’s recent international success.
Though with just one success in the Africa Cup of Nations, Moroccan football soars higher than the rest in Africa and the Arab world at the World Cup.
Apart from being the only African and Arab country to have reached the World Cup semi-final stage, Morocco in the 1970 World Cup in Mexico became the first African team not to be defeated in a World Cup match when they forced Bulgaria to a 1-1 draw on 11 June.
Again, in Mexico, this time at the 1986 World Cup, Morocco became the first African team to top a group and cross the group stage.
They were just two minutes away from a major upset of West Germany in the round of 16 before Lothar Matthäus’ back-breaking goal.
The success of the football team and the tourism potential of Morocco have found a harmonious chord.
The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and the National Moroccan Tourism Office (ONMT) will work together under the banner “Morocco, Land of Football,” placing the sport at the heart of the country’s tourism strategy.
“More than an institutional partnership, this convention is a shared vision: that of a Morocco that shines through football and makes it a lever for promotion, pride and tourist attractiveness,” ONMT said in a statement released after the signing.
The timing of this collaboration is strategic, coming ahead of two major sporting events: the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which Morocco will co-host with Spain and Portugal.
The initiative builds on widespread public enthusiasm following the Atlas Lions’ historic World Cup performance in 2022.
Under the agreement, both organizations will implement an integrated communication strategy combining visibility campaigns, influence marketing, and joint promotional activities.
The initiative will mobilize iconic figures from Moroccan football to bring this vision to life, to showcase the country’s world-class sporting facilities, rich cultural heritage, and diverse tourist attractions.
ONMT has launched a major offensive at making Morocco, the ultimate tourism and business destination as the clock ticks down to the 35th Africa Cup of Nations holding in December.
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