Chelsea, Shield breeze set to reach Zim

ZIMBABWEAN football is set to experience a refreshing breeze following the announcement of a partnership between two championship brands, English Premiership giants Chelsea FC and Shield Deodorant.

Expanding on Chelsea’s existing partnership with Shield in South Africa, the new partnership will inspire young, ambitious Africans who understand that achieving success requires hard work, practice, and absolute dedication — both on and off the field.

And for budding local footballers, this means a grand opportunity to showcase their skills under the watchful eyes of some of the world’s leading scouts, who are set to descend on the country in droves once the programme is rolled out.

In announcing the ground-breaking partnership Mark Aschmann, Shield’s regional brand manager for Africa, revealed that they were driven by the need to play a part in the development of football across the continent.

“Football is the most loved sport in Africa and is a key passion point for our consumers. Through this partnership, Shield wants to provide aspiring and talented footballers across Africa with the opportunity to shine and achieve their goals.

“Shield’s aim is to develop football at grass root levels, giving African millennials the chance to change their lives,” he said.

Chengetai Mujakachi, Shield brand manager for Southern Africa added:

“Confidence to perform in the moments that matter can often be the difference between winning and losing. With Shield, Zimbabwe’s number one selling deodorant, anyone can have the confidence to take on the day, no matter what their movements are.

“When you move with purpose, you get things done. This partnership will pave the way for future African footballers and will give them the confidence and skills to make their dreams to become a reality.

“Chelsea is the perfect partner for Shield to support promising young African talent and give them the opportunity to show their abilities at an international level — because these types of opportunities don’t come around every day.”

The Blues, as Chelsea are known, are home to such players as Eden Hazard, Victor Moses and Cesc Fàbregas and their commercial director Chris Townsend is excited about a partnership that is set to widen their scouting base to countries such as Zimbabwe.

“At Chelsea, we pride ourselves on working with some of the world’s leading companies and so partnering with Africa’s number one selling deodorant brand is very exciting for us.

“The Chelsea Foundation continues to lead the way in improving the lives of young people all over the world and we now look forward to extending across Africa, the fantastic grassroots initiative that we have already delivered in South Africa with Shield,” he said.