Sunderland bids to become Africa’s favourite Premier League football club

Although the £20m ($31m) shirt sponsorship deal with Tullow has expired, the club’s sights are still firmly fixed on Africa.

Last year it swapped the “Invest in Africa” shirts for those bearing the logo of Bidvest, a financial services company. Bidvest now acts as the club’s business sponsor at the Stadium of Light Academy following the expiry of its contract as the club’s main sponsor.

As in any sport, everyone loves a winner and many Sunderland followers on the continent will be worried about the team’s struggles on the pitch. Currently it languishes in 19th out of 20 teams in the Premier League.

Sunderland does not have any African players at the moment but it has a rich legacy of footballers from the continent.

African greats such as Asamoah Gyan, John Mensah and Sulley Muntari of Ghana, Zimbabwe’s Benjani Mwaruwari, Patrick Mboma of Cameroon and Senegal’s El Hadji Diouf have all worn the red-and-white striped shirts.

These players have helped build a lasting relationship between the club and the African continent.

Perhaps in future, Sunderland can tap into the emerging talent that it is helping to nurture through its sporting programmes.

But in the meantime, the business side of the club is firmly focused on Africa.

“We have a relationship with the Tanzania tourism board to develop their tourism. We promote the destination through the power of the Premier League – it is broadcast in America, Asia and the LCD advertising in our stadium promoting Tanzania as a destination,” Mr Hutchinson said.

Inside the club’s home ground, the Stadium of Light, the touchline is transformed into a giant advert for tourism in southern Africa and Bidvest business services.

On any given match day, it promotes Bidvest, South African Airways flights, trips to African destinations and holidays in Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater.

When foreign holiday-makers are greeted by lots of locals wearing Sunderland shirts, we will know the club’s mission has succeeded but for now the team has to continue its fight against relegation or else its battle for Africa hearts and minds might die on its way to Championship football next season.