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
Network X Awards 2026 Finalists Announced, Spotlighting Telecom Innovation and Industry Excellence5.8.2026 09:00:00 EEST | Press release
Network X, the global event series bringing together the international fixed-line, transport and mobile telecom communities, today announced finalists for the fifth annual 2026 Network X Awards, recognising the companies, technologies and projects driving innovation across the global telecommunications industry. Celebrating excellence across 21 solution provider and operator categories, winners will be announced on 14 October during an awards ceremony at the Museum of Applied Arts (MAK) in Vienna. “The Network X Awards recognise the technologies, solutions and industry leaders actively shaping the next generation of global connectivity,” said Chris Lycett, Event Director, Network X. “With more companies entering than ever before, this year was the most competitive process to date. The finalists reflect an industry undergoing rapid transformation, from AI-driven network operations and cloud-native infrastructure to advanced products and services spanning fibre, mobile and in-home connec
European AI Startups Grab Record 55% of VC Capital as H1 Funding Reaches $23B5.8.2026 01:01:00 EEST | Press release
European AI startups raised a record-breaking $23 billion in the first half of 2026, a 130% year-over-year surge that captured 55% of all venture capital in the region, according to the 2026 European AI Economy Report released today by HumanX and Crunchbase. Up from $10 billion in H1 2025, the historic funding total signals that Europe is rapidly asserting itself as a primary engine of global AI innovation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260804090835/en/ "If the AI story was supposed to be a two-horse race, Europe didn't get the memo," said Stefan Weitz, Co-Founder and CEO of HumanX. "$23 billion is flowing straight into the industries Europe already leads: robotics, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, defense. This is a continent betting on its own strengths." Capital concentrates in a small cohort of breakout companies While total investment set records, capital concentrated heavily at the top. A striking 7
IFF Reports Second Quarter 2026 Results; Announces Use of Proceeds Plan for Food Ingredients Divestiture4.8.2026 23:15:00 EEST | Press release
IFF (NYSE: IFF) reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026. Results are presented on a continuing operations basis, excluding the Food Ingredients business and other minor perimeter adjustments (the “Food Ingredients disposal group”), and the Soy Crush, Concentrates, and Lecithin businesses (the “SCL disposal group”). The Food Ingredients disposal group and the SCL disposal group are reported as discontinued operations. Management Commentary “IFF delivered a strong first half of 2026 on a continuing operations basis,” said Erik Fyrwald, CEO of IFF. “Performance was driven by volume growth, disciplined margin execution and robust free cash flow generation. These results reflect the strength of our commercial and innovation pipelines and the actions underway to improve efficiency and cash flow across the company.” “This quarter marked a defining step in our portfolio transformation with the announced agreement to divest Food Ingredients. The transaction sharpen
Crimson Moon Releasing September 1 for $19.99 USD, Offering This Fall’s Best Value for a Hellish Action RPG, Solo or With a Friend4.8.2026 20:00:00 EEST | Press release
ProbablyMonsters, an independent video game company focused on building original IP, today announced that Crimson Moon will release September 1, 2026, on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S for $19.99 USD, offering a focused game that delivers high-quality visuals and gameplay at an accessible price point. The company also revealed that famous metal musicians HEALTH, Jared Dines, Misha Mansoor, and Ricky Armellino will be composing original songs for the game’s boss encounters. The details were confirmed in a newly-released gameplay trailer, which also announced a Deluxe Edition of Crimson Moon that will cost $29.99 USD on all platforms, offering players access to the Ceremonial Armor Set and the Axe of the Gods weapon cosmetic, along with an upcoming expansion for Crimson Moon that will be released at a later date. “We’ve made Crimson Moon an intense action-adventure RPG that’s approachable to players. We want as many people as possible to enjoy i
Frontgrade Expands Executive Team as Demand Grows for Mission-Ready Space and Defense Technologies4.8.2026 18:48:00 EEST | Press release
Frontgrade Technologies Inc. (“Frontgrade”), a leading provider of mission-critical electronics and subsystems, today announced the expansion of its executive leadership team as it continues to invest in the capabilities for the next generation of space, defense, and intelligence missions. Spanning finance, information technology, operations, reputation, go-to-market, and product leadership, the appointments reinforce Frontgrade's commitment to accelerating innovation and helping customers navigate an increasingly complex environment. The six appointments include: Andrew Matsuyama, Chief Financial Officer, brings more than 30 years of finance and business leadership experience during periods of growth and transformation in industrial and technology driven organizations. Most recently he served as CFO for Honeywell Sundyne. Leveraging this experience, Matsuyama will advance Frontgrade’s financial strategy, strengthen its operating foundation, and support continued focus on customers and
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