adidas To Replace PUMA As CAF Technical Spo…

adidas is set to make a long-awaited return as a technical sponsor of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after a 12-year absence. Photo: olympics.com

adidas is set to make a long-awaited return as a technical sponsor of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after a 12-year absence, with the three stripes expected to replace Puma as the official AFCON match-ball supplier.

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The story

The Three Stripes could soon be returning to African football’s biggest international stage, with the sportswear giant reportedly set to become the official match-ball supplier for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

According to Footy Headlines, adidas is expected to replace Puma as CAF’s match-ball partner for the 2027 tournament, marking the German sportswear giant’s return to the AFCON after a 12-year absence.

The report says PUMA, which supplied the official balls for the 2023 and 2025 editions, will make way for adidas.

The reported switch would bring adidas back into a tournament with which it has a long-standing history. The brand last supplied an official AFCON match ball in 2015, when the Marhaba was used at the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

Before that, adidas produced several memorable AFCON balls, including the Wawa Aba for Ghana 2008, Jabulani Angola for Angola 2010 and Katlego for South Africa 2013.

End of An Era

The change would also bring an end to PUMA’s recent spell as AFCON ball supplier. PUMA’s tournament designs included the Pokou for the 2023 edition in Côte d’Ivoire and the ITRI for the 2025 tournament in Morocco.

The 2027 AFCON is scheduled to take place from 19 June to 17 July 2027, with Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda serving as co-hosts.

For adidas, a return would add another significant African football property to its international portfolio while reviving a relationship with CAF that has featured some of the continent’s most recognisable tournament footballs.

The design of the reported 2027 match ball has yet to be officially revealed, but adidas’ return would set the stage for another new visual chapter in AFCON’s long history of iconic footballs.

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