As part of efforts to promote local football in Nigeria, premium lager, Hero has become the sponsor of elite Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) teams in the South-East.
The benefiting teams include Enyimba Football Club of Aba, Heartland FC of Owerri, Rangers International, IfeanyiUbah FC, Abia FC, Rivers United among others.
The sponsorship which takes effect immediately forms part of the partnership entered into by the NPFL and Hero, a product of International Breweries Plc and a preferred brand in the region.
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Sportingtribune reports that the sponsorship will directly benefit the clubs, the NPFL, the players, and indirectly benefit the fans, the club’s communities.
While speaking at a press conference, Marketing Director, International Breweries Plc, Tolulope Adedeji, explained that Hero seeks to elevate the status of local league in Nigeria at a time when many clubs are struggling to stay afloat as a result of poor funding.
“Football is a game that brings people together no matter who they are or where they are located. In a football game, people celebrate as one and they share the win or loss of their team as one, and in this sense Hero lager is much like the game of football because it unites people.
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“Now that Hero lager is stepping up to promote local football, we should expect a lot more development in this area. Our ambition is to see our local players get more visibility, career development and love of our people,” Adedeji said.
Also speaking at the event, Marketing Manager, Hero, Margaret Igabali, added that the “these clubs bring joy to many Nigerians across the country and should be supported just the way foreign brands support foreign clubs. Football teams go beyond the game, they are traditions, and we are happy to be the official sponsors of these great football traditions.”