Izuchukwu OkosiThe Africa Cup of Nations trophy has arrived for a three-day tour of Nigerian cities of Abuja, Lagos and Port Harcourt ahead of the tournament slated to hold January 9 and February 6, 2022 in Cameroon.
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The tour is at the instance of the sponsors of the bi-annual tournament, TotalEnergies Plc.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Executive Director Secretary General, Mrs Lesley Baxter, who represented the company’s Managing Director said; “Football is very dear to my heart and AFCON is home to us at TotalEnergies.
“TotalEnergies is a multinational integrated energy company committed not only to proving clean, affordable and accessible energy to our customers in the more than 130 countries where we have presence, we are also committed to the development of sports especially in Africa.
Baxter explained why they opted to take a tour of the trophy.
“This is why we decided to embark on a long-term 8-year partnership with Confederation of African Football (CAF) to further push our support to those who bring the passion of football to life.
“We want to be at the heart of this experience by connecting football lovers around the continent to the sports they love so dearly.
“Nigeria is very important in African football. This is why we are having the trophy tour in Nigeria. This tour is displaying the actual golden trophy; the much-coveted trophy that will be given to the TotalEnergies AFCON winner. The tour will see the celebration of football across our country, particularly in Lagos, Port-Harcourt and Abuja.
“This tour will be an opportunity to celebrate this monumental tournament and give our beloved Nigerians a feel of the tournament rush.
“We look forward to our Nigerian Team excelling at the TotalEnergies AFCON Tournament. We enjoin the players to remain focused and committed to the sport. We are also using this medium to send our support to the Super Eagles and the NFF.
In a bid to ostensibly ensure that the Nigerian football faithful watch their darling Super Eagles at the Afcon, Baxter had some good news for fans who love to see games at the viewing centers.
“Our company will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Nigerians fully enjoy and experience the tournament. We will not only be providing Nigerians with viewing centers, but we will also be powering existing viewing centers, all in a bid to ensure that our much loved sport is watched comfortably with no power interruptions. We want Nigerians to relax, enjoy the games and be happy.
“We are super excited to hold this AFCON Trophy Tour in anticipation of the 2022 tournament and we look forward to interacting with you at our service stations across the city.”
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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