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
Lapmaster Wolters and Precision Surfacing Solutions Secures Strategic Minority Investment from The Cynosure Group and Fernweh Group to Accelerate Growth8.10.2026 23:49:00 EEST | Press release
Lapmaster Wolters and Precision Surfacing Solutions (“Lapmaster Wolters”), a leading global supplier of high-precision machine systems and consumables to the semiconductor, advanced materials, precision optics, and advanced packaging industries, today announced the completion of a minority equity investment by affiliates of The Cynosure Group (“Cynosure”) and Fernweh Group (“Fernweh”). The investment strengthens the balance sheet and adds long-term, engaged partners to support the company’s next phase of growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008141876/en/ Positioned for growth Demand for ultra-high-precision surface finishing continues to grow as customers in semiconductors, advanced materials, and precision optics push toward tighter tolerances and higher throughput. These tailwinds are further reinforced by sustained investment in semiconductor and advanced-packaging capacity, the expansion of AI and hi
Dubai Launches Global Create AI Agents Championship with Prize Pool Exceeding AED 2.5 Million8.10.2026 20:05:00 EEST | Press release
Dubai has launched the Create AI Agents Championship, a global competition inviting innovators to develop practical and scalable AI-agent solutions that address real-world challenges, with a total prize pool exceeding AED 2.5 million. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20261008883373/en/ Dubai has launched the Create AI Agents Championship as part of its efforts to accelerate the adoption and development of Agentic AI (Photo: AETOSWire) The launch of the championship was announced by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, who encouraged innovators from around the world to participate. Led by Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, the championship aims to accelerate the adoption of Agentic AI and support the development of innovative AI-agent solutions with strong potential for
Seiden Law LLP issues statement: Prosecuted by Press Conference: Declared Guilty Without a Charge, Yim Leak Family Asks UN Human Rights Experts to Hold Thailand to Its Own Treaty Commitments8.10.2026 19:26:00 EEST | Press release
Seiden Law LLP, chief global counsel to Cambodian businessman Yim Leak, announced today that Jared Genser, international counsel to Mr. Yim and his wife, has asked two UN Special Rapporteurs to send an urgent appeal to the Thai government. The request is made on behalf of the couple and their seven-year-old son. It says Thailand violated its international human rights commitments by announcing the family’s guilt before any court had tried them, and by freezing their assets, including their minor son’s savings, without a hearing. Six Official Statements in Nine Months. No Charge Filed in Any Court. Between December 2025 and September 2026, Thai officials described Mr. Yim as the center of a criminal network on six occasions: at two press conferences chaired by the head of the Thai government, in the House of Representatives, and in three government press releases. The head of the Thai government said the network had been “found to have committed” offenses. Asked about the suspects’ lawy
Sam Altman-Backed Meanwhile Raises $37.5M as Families Across Asia, Europe and the Middle East Turn to Bitcoin Life Insurance8.10.2026 19:12:00 EEST | Press release
Meanwhile, the first life insurer licensed to operate entirely in Bitcoin, today announced $37.5 million in new funding from its existing investors. Bain Capital Crypto led the round, alongside Haun Ventures, Framework Ventures, Pantera Capital, Apollo, Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures, and Morgan Creek Digital. Meanwhile, whose backers also include Sam Altman, has now raised more than $180 million. The round follows a surge in international demand for Meanwhile’s Bitcoin life insurance policies, particularly in Asia, Europe and the Middle East amid broader macro instability. In early 2026, Meanwhile launched BTC Life 1-Pay, a single-premium whole life policy built for high-net-worth clients outside the United States. It is the company's second product line after BTC 10-Pay, which is purposely designed for US taxpayers. As the company eyes further international growth, Meanwhile has signed 15 brokers serving wealthy families since launch, including in the insurance hubs of Singapore
Andersen Consulting Adds TalentSmartEQ to Advance Leadership and Business Transformation8.10.2026 17:38:00 EEST | Press release
Andersen Consulting expands its human capital capabilities through a Collaboration Agreement with TalentSmartEQ, a San Diego-based firm focused on creating practical, engaging and actionable learning experiences rooted in emotional intelligence (EQ) and leadership development. For more than two decades, TalentSmartEQ has worked with organizations around the world to develop leadership skills through emotional intelligence, helping strengthen employee engagement, teamwork, and overall performance. The firm combines research-based methodology with practical learning experiences, assessments, coaching, and customized programs that are designed to translate EQ development into sustained changes in workplace behavior. As an industry leader, TalentSmartEQ works with organizations spanning Fortune 500 companies to government agencies and privately held businesses. “Organizations are asking more of their leaders and employees as the workplace continues to evolve,” said Howard Farfel, CEO of Ta
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