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Sunderland and Asante Kotoko to address club partnership at Soccerex African Forum

Soccerex (2014)

Soccerex (2014)

Two clubs at the forefront of the growing relationship between Europe and Africa in football, Sunderland AFC and Asante Kotoko SC, will be speaking on a dedicated panel at this year’s Soccerex African Forum, 4-5 November, Durban, South Africa.

The session, titled “How can clubs grow their brand in Africa?”, will see Opoku Nti, Chairman of Asante Kotoko, and Gary Hutchinson, Director of Commercial Activity for Sunderland, discuss the objectives behind the association and the results that have been achieved since the partnership was struck in 2011.

The Wearside club has been praised for their continued effort in developing ties with Africa, which also includes a partnership with South African international services, trading and distribution company Bidvest and a Tanzania-based academy. The partnership with the Ghanaian club allows Sunderland to benefit on the field, through youth development, scouting and coaching, while providing Asante Kotoko’s “Porcupine Warriors”, already considered one of the best clubs on the continent, with technical support, help in obtaining sponsorship deals and valuable commercial know-how.

This session offers delegates insight into the challenges and benefits that can be encountered when setting up links with foreign counterparts, especially in regions with diverse economic and cultural backgrounds.

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said: “For football clubs in any league or country, finding talent from a young age is a primary concern. These two clubs are paving the way by fostering ties that will help both teams to gain knowledge and provide opportunities for new players. To hear from them offers a great addition to an already packed agenda at the African Forum.”

The Soccerex African Forum will bring together 1,000 senior football decision makers together with businesses from across the continent and the world for two days of unrivalled learning, networking and business opportunities to unite the business of football in Africa.