German sportswear and equipment brand Puma is to supply the official match ball for tournaments organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after striking a new deal with the continental governing body.
The agreement, which starts in November, sees Puma become the technical partner of CAFm covering several tournaments, including the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) being held in the Ivory Coast from January 13 to February 11, 2024.
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The tournament was originally scheduled to be held this year but was postponed to 2024 due to concerns over the rainy season in the Ivory Coast.
As part of the new agreement, Puma will also provide the kit for referees during the tournaments and hold marketing rights inside and outside host venues.
Puma succeeds Umbro, which acted as the match ball supplier at the 2019 and 2021 editions of the AFCON.
Johan Kuhlo, general manager of Europe, Middle East, and Africa distribution at Puma, said: “The passion for football runs deep in Africa and PUMA has taken a unique and creative approach in its partnerships with its African teams over the years.
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By GlobalData“Our agreement with CAF celebrates this passion for the sport across the continent and we will jointly develop exciting products specifically for African football.”
The deal adds CAF to a growing portfolio of tie-ups in soccer for Puma, which also includes league partnerships with Liga Portugal, LaLiga in Spain, the United Soccer League in the US, the second-tier English Football League, the Malaysian Football League, Serie A in Italy, and the Scottish Professional Football League and Scottish Women’s Premier League.
Elsewhere in soccer, Puma recently struck a long-term kit supply deal with Saudi Arabian soccer club Al Hilal, who finished third in the 2022-23 Saudi Pro League and are one of four teams in the league to have been taken over by the country’s sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund as part of its continued strategic investment in sports.
It was announced in May, meanwhile, that the brand is to become an official supplier to motor racing’s premier Formula 1 series from 2024.
CAF, meanwhile, appointed IMG as its global sponsorship agency until 2025 earlier this week in a deal that will see the sports and entertainment giant deliver new sponsorship opportunities for CAF’s 11 competitions.
Additionally, IMG will provide marketing intelligence, data analysis, and consultancy services to support CAF in the development of its new commercial sponsorship strategy.
The governing body also recently named Chinese technology company Tecno Mobile as an official sponsor of the 2023 AFCON.
It became the second official sponsor signed up by the federation for the flagship tournament joining betting brand 1XBet. Energy company TotalEnergies is the title sponsor.
