Heineken Hosts Biggest UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour in Africa
11.5.2022 09:59:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
In its continuing effort to bring the UEFA Champions League (UCL) experience closer to more football fans around the world, Heineken has staged its most elaborate Trophy Tour in Africa yet. The 10-day tour, which ended on April 13 in Abuja, Nigeria, ahead of the 2022 final match on May 28, included several public events that featured the UCL trophy at major stops in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. Fans from Rwanda and Congo Brazzaville also attended the tour in Nigeria and DRC respectively.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220509006222/en/
Clarence Seedorf on tour with the UEFA Champions League trophy in Ethiopia, as part of the pan-African tour, courtesy of Heineken.
The events around the tour included open-truck city parades, novelty matches with local celebrities, UCL quarter final match viewings, fan meet and greets, photo sessions, media rounds, Afrobeats concerts, and visits to government ministries in charge of football.
Heineken, sold in 192 countries around the world, has been a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League since 2005 and the company’s leadership said its Africa-wide trophy tour for the 2021/2022 season was structured to reach 50,000 Africans directly while an estimated 10 million more are reached via media coverage.
A highlight of the trophy tour was a Heineken-sponsored football match in Lagos, Nigeria. It pitted Nigerian music superstars and football legends against senior staff of Nigerian Breweries, which is the local Heineken brewer, and the Trophy Tour Ambassador, professional coach and former Dutch international midfielder, Clarence Seedorf.
BET Awards-winning Afrobeats star Davido captained Team Nigeria, which had ex-Nigerian internationals Austin Jay Jay Okocha, Daniel Amokachi, and Taribo West. Also on the squad were rapper M.I. Abaga, R&B singer Darey, and Nigerian Breweries Marketing Director, Emmanuel Oriakhi. Seedorf led Team Heineken, playing, among others, Nigerian Breweries Finance Director, Rob Kleinjan; and the company’s Supply Chain Director, Martin Kochl.
The novelty match preceded an Afrobeats concert that was headlined by African superstar, Davido and Peruzzi, another topflight Nigerian singer. Members of the Heineken management team and Seedorf then met with the Nigerian Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, at the MKO Abiola stadium in Abuja, the country’s capital.
The Union of European Football Associations, the umbrella organisation for 55 national football associations across Europe, organizes the Champions League as an annual competition among top-division football clubs. The 2022 final match is slated for May 28 at the Stade de France in Paris.
“The goal of the Trophy Tour is to inspire a new generation of African footballers and appreciate fans for their love of the UEFA Champions League and Heineken,” said Heineken’s Senior Global Director, Bram Westerbrink.
The continent’s importance to the growth of football and the UCL is evident, Bram also noted. Several European clubs in the English, French, Italian, Spanish, and German leagues have notable African following, with many of the fans organising meetups and celebrations when their favourite teams record tournament successes. With more than 100 Africans currently playing professionally, over 25 Champions League winners from Africa, and about 300 million African fans, football has taken hold as the most popular sport on the continent.
“This is why Heineken is proud to celebrate its association with the UEFA Champions League,” said Hans Erik Tuijt, Director, Global Heineken Sponsorships, adding that Heineken has the highest awareness on the continent as a sponsor of the UEFA Champions League.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220509006222/en/
Contact information
Enitan Kehinde
Enitan@bhmng.uk
+447899410249
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Carrier and PHINIA Recognized with ISG Paragon Awards North America 2026 for Transformation Delivered with LTM30.9.2026 11:30:00 EEST | Press release
LTM, the Business Creativity partner to the world’s largest enterprises, today announced that its clients PHINIA and Carrier have been recognized at the ISG Paragon Awards North America 2026. LTM received recognition in the Excellence category for its work with PHINIA and in the Transformation category for its work with Carrier. The ISG Paragon Awards recognize enterprise-provider partnerships that leverage technology, innovation, and new operating models to deliver measurable business impact. The recognitions highlight LTM's ability to help global enterprises accelerate transformation through industry expertise, technology innovation, and execution excellence. Carrier: Following significant M&A activities, Carrier, a global leader in intelligent climate and energy solutions, sought to address a fragmented technology landscape, siloed operating functions, and limited visibility into application ownership and costs across its 2,000+ application estate. LTM partnered closely with Carrier
RGI Expands Its Digital Insurance Proposition With the Acquisition of D4Next30.9.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
RGI, the leading provider of digital solutions for the European insurance industry, announces the acquisition of D4Next, an insurance technology company specializing in solutions that connect insurance products, distribution channels and digital processes, powered by innovative AI models. The acquisition broadens RGI’s ability to support insurers in addressing one of the key challenges facing the industry: how to accelerate business and technological innovation while progressively evolving an increasingly complex technology landscape. Supporting the evolution of insurance at the pace of the market As insurers continue to invest in new products, digital channels, distribution models and more intelligent processes, the ability to introduce innovation progressively, and connect new capabilities with the technologies already supporting the business, is becoming increasingly important. With the acquisition of D4Next, RGI expands its proposition with capabilities designed to support this evo
Roquette to Showcase End-to-End Pharma Solutions for Patient-Centric Formulations at CPHI Milan 202630.9.2026 11:00:00 EEST | Press release
Roquette will showcase its end-to-end portfolio of pharmaceutical excipients, drug delivery solutions and leading technical expertise at CPHI Milan 2026 in Italy, where the company will welcome visitors at booth 1A18 in the excipients hall. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260929017969/en/ Visit Roquette at booth 1A18 in the excipients hall. At this year’s global industry event, Roquette will highlight key product brands supporting formulation performance, patient-centric drug delivery and biopharma innovation, including METHOCEL™ cellulose ethers, PEARLITOL® mannitol, Avicel® microcrystalline cellulose, POLYOX™ polyethylene oxide, KLEPTOSE® cyclodextrins, LYCADEX® pyrogen-free dextrose monohydrate, Qualicaps™ by Roquette hard capsules and its alginate portfolio from sustainably sourced seaweed. The company will also spotlight its biopharma solutions spanning upstream processing, downstream efficiency, and form
SoftBank Robotics Expands AI & Robotics Solutions for Foodservice in EMEA30.9.2026 10:30:00 EEST | Press release
SoftBank Robotics UK Ltd. today announced that it will showcase its AI & Robotics solutions for foodservice at EquipHotel 2026, taking place in Paris, France, from 2 to 5 November 2026, as part of its efforts to expand foodservice automation initiatives across the EMEA region. Hospitality and foodservice operators continue to face operational challenges, including labour shortages, difficulties in recruiting skilled staff, rising costs, inconsistent food quality, and food waste. SoftBank Robotics aims to help address these challenges through robotics and automation, supporting more efficient, consistent and flexible foodservice operations. STEAMA is a steam-based cooking robot that uses high-pressure, high-temperature steam to prepare frozen noodle dishes in about 90 seconds. Designed for simple, one-touch operation, it helps operators consistently serve freshly prepared dishes with ease. FLAMA and BOTINKIT Omni are automated cooking solutions that improve kitchen efficiency and consis
IFF Introduces AQUASCENT™: Advanced Water-Based Fragrance Technology30.9.2026 10:00:00 EEST | Press release
IFF (NYSE: IFF), a global leader in flavors, fragrances and health and biosciences, today introduced AQUASCENT™, a new vegan, water-based carrier for fine fragrance. Crafted from a proprietary formula made with biodegradable materials, AQUASCENT™ delivers enhanced olfactive performance and visual clarity for consumers while supporting a more sustainable approach to shipping the product. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260929938674/en/ AQUASCENT™ is IFF's new water-based fragrance carrier technology that maintains visual clarity while supporting fragrance loads from 10% to up to 25%, compared with up to 15% for most comparable systems. “AQUASCENT™ reflects our continued investment in new scent technologies and formats that create compelling fragrance experiences while supporting the industry’s growing focus on sustainability,” said Sabrya Meflah, president of Fine Fragrance for IFF Scent. “This technology illus
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom