International Football
Emirates Extends FA Cup Sponsorship
The oldest football competition and also the most glamorous domestic knockout football competition, The FA Cup in England has received further boost as sponsors, The Emirates have extended the partnership for another three years.
In essence, the tournament will retain the nomenclature, The Emirates FA Cup through until 2021.
In 2015, Emirates became the title partner of the FA Cup, the world’s most prestigious domestic cup competition. The partnership between Emirates and the FA’s flagship competition has helped widen the reach to fans around the globe.
Just ahead of the semi-finals in April of last year, the airline unveiled an exclusive Emirates FA Cup branded A380, with the logo of the iconic cup adorning both sides of the double-decked aircraft.
The Emirates FA Cup branded aircraft has made its way to the extensive Emirates A380 network, allowing fans from around the world to connect with the competition in a unique way.
The airline also took the coveted Emirates FA Cup trophy on its first-ever trip to Africa with a stop at the airline’s Headquarters in Dubai in October 2016.
The four day tour through Ghana and Kenya including visits to schools and training centres allowed thousands of football fans in Africa to get a little closer to the competition and gave them the opportunity to be photographed with the popular trophy. There are plans in place to extend the tour to take the Cup to even more cities on the Emirates network in the coming year.
The 2017/18 Emirates FA Cup tournament began on Friday 4 August and saw 737 teams entering the competition and 185 extra-preliminary games taking place across the country. Last year’s competition involved more than 11,000 players from over 700 teams, playing in matches attended by over 1.8 million fans.
Sir Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline said, “We remain incredibly proud to continue our role as the first ever title sponsor of such a prestigious and historic tournament.
The spirit of this competition, bringing together both small clubs and Premier League giants alike to face each other before an audience of passionate fans is what drives us to continue our investment in this tournament.
Through our support of the Cup, Emirates remains committed to the sport of football and its continued development. We look forward to the future of our partnership and helping to connect fans across the globe to one of the world’s most celebrated sports.”
Mark Bullingham, FA Group Commercial Director added, “We are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Emirates through to 2021.
Working alongside such a well-established and iconic global brand has helped us to make the competition more accessible to fans across the world. With the support of Emirates, last season’s competition reached over 912 million fans worldwide.
The partnership will also allow us to continue our investment into the game at all levels. We look forward to continuing to work together to ensure the Emirates FA Cup remains the best loved and revered domestic cup competition in the world.”
The competition continues with the preliminary round on the weekend of 18/19 August and will culminate in a showpiece Final at Wembley Stadium connected by EE on Saturday 19 May 2018.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles put up a spirited performance but were edged 2-1 by Portugal in an international friendly at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria on Wednesday night.
The match served as Portugal’s final tune-up ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America and offered the Nigerians a chance to test themselves against one of Europe’s leading sides led by veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal drew first blood in the 23rd minute when Pedro Neto broke the deadlock, firing past Nigerian goalkeeper Maduka Okoye after a lively opening period in which both teams created opportunities.
The Super Eagles responded positively and were rewarded eight minutes before halftime when striker Akor Adams found the equaliser. The goal capped an impressive Nigerian fightback and ensured the teams went into the break level at 1-1.
Ronaldo, making a rare appearance against Nigeria, started the match and remained on the pitch until the 67th minute. The 41-year-old was given a standing ovation by the home crowd when he was replaced by Gonçalo Ramos.
Portugal made several changes after the interval as coach Roberto Martinez rotated his squad in preparation for the World Cup. Despite the substitutions, the hosts continued to press for a winner.
Their persistence paid off in the 75th minute when Francisco Conceição struck the decisive goal, restoring Portugal’s lead and ultimately securing victory for the European side.
Nigeria battled to find another equaliser in the closing stages but Portugal’s defence held firm to preserve the 2-1 result.
The defeat means Portugal have now won both meetings between the two countries. Their first encounter came in Lisbon in November 2022, when the Portuguese recorded a convincing 4-0 victory in a pre-World Cup friendly.
While the result will disappoint Nigerian supporters, the Super Eagles can take encouragement from their resilient display against one of the teams widely tipped to make a strong impact at the World Cup. Akor Adams’ goal and Nigeria’s competitive showing against a star-studded Portuguese side provided positive signs as the team continues its rebuilding process under the national team set-up.
For Portugal, the victory provides a confidence boost as they head to North America, where they hope their talented midfield and experienced squad can propel them to a successful World Cup campaign.
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Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo will be in the starting line-up when the Selecao take on Nigeria in an international friendly match which kicks off in a few minutes tonight.
The 41-year-old forward, who remains a key figure in the Portuguese national team, has been named among the starters as Portugal continue preparations for upcoming competitive fixtures.
Ronaldo’s inclusion is expected to add further excitement to the encounter, with Nigerian fans eager to see one of football’s greatest players in action against the Super Eagles.
The match offers Nigeria another opportunity to test themselves against top European opposition, while Portugal will look to sharpen their squad ahead of future international assignments.
Kick-off is scheduled for later tonight, with both teams expected to field strong line-ups in what promises to be an entertaining contest.
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By Kunle Solaja
Nigeria’s Super Eagles and Portugal will meet for only the second time at the senior level when they clash in an international friendly in Leiria on Wednesday night.
The encounter comes under remarkably similar circumstances to their first meeting in November 2022, when Portugal defeated Nigeria 4-0 in Lisbon just days before the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Once again, Portugal are using Nigeria as their final warm-up match before the World Cup. Four years ago, the Portuguese selected the Super Eagles to prepare for a group-stage clash against Ghana, the team that denied Nigeria a place at Qatar 2022.
History appears to be repeating itself. This time, Portugal are preparing for a World Cup opening fixture against the Democratic Republic of Congo, another team that shattered Nigeria’s World Cup ambitions by eliminating the Super Eagles from the qualification race.
The match at the 29,000-capacity Estádio Dr Magalhães Pessoa offers Nigeria an opportunity to avenge the heavy defeat suffered four years ago and test themselves against one of Europe’s strongest sides.
Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has assembled a star-studded squad featuring five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva, Ruben Dias, Rafael Leão and João Félix.
The Portuguese head into the encounter unbeaten in their last four matches, having recorded victories over the United States and Chile while drawing with Mexico.
Nigeria, under coach Eric Chelle, have also enjoyed an impressive run. Since taking charge 15 months ago, the Franco-Malian tactician has overseen 24 matches and suffered only one defeat in regulation time.
With both teams carrying impressive recent records, Wednesday’s friendly promises to be far more competitive than the scoreline from their last meeting suggests.
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