ORANGE AT AFCON

As the dust settles on the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, we speak to Donna Soane about the tech giant’s long-standing support for the region’s most important football competition

Harnessing the power of sponsorship to open up football to the masses

The first ever Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was a somewhat unconventional affair by today’s football tournament standards. One abandoned semi-final, the disqualification of South Africa and just two completed matches later, February 1957 saw Egypt lift the first ever AFCON trophy in Sudan.

The inaugural edition of the tournament, somewhat surprisingly, was held a year before the first ever European Championship, although few at the time would have predicted the event would reach the heights it enjoys today.

Slowly growing from just three participating teams in 1957 and 1959, AFCON was ironically rescued in 1996 by post-apartheid South

Africa after it stepped in to stage the expanded 16team competition following

Kenya’s withdrawal as host.

Fast-forward to 2019, and 24 nations have proudly occupied the continental footballing limelight and battled for the 31st Africa Cup of Nations title.

The event has also expanded commercially, not least in the form of sponsorship from some of the continent’s and indeed the world’s leading brands, companies looking to tap into a regionwide passion for the sport.

Orange is one such organisation. Official sponsor for the sixth consecutive year, its collaboration with AFCON stretches back more than a decade.

“Football drives a true sense of positivity and optimism, an outlook which is very much shared by our brand,” comments Donna Soane, Global Sponsorship and Partnership Director.