The Rwanda Development Board, the Ministry of Sports, and RwandAir were the intermediaries through which the Confederation Africanine de Football (CAF) announced a partnership agreement with the Rwandan government on Tuesday.
The new African Football League (AFL), which will showcase the top football clubs on the continent on a worldwide platform, is the vehicle through which the collaboration hopes to boost both African football and tourism.
Starting on October 20, 2023 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, the African Football League will feature clubs from every area of Africa playing for a championship every year.
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Al Ahly from Egypt, Wydad AC from Morocco, Espérance Sportive de Tunis from Tunisia are among the football clubs contesting this year that were chosen based on CAF rankings.
TP Mazembe, Enyimba, Mamelodi Sundowns, and ATL are all teams from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tanzania’s Simba FC and Angola’s Petro Luanda.
The “Visit Rwanda” branding will be shown on the sleeves of player jerseys, in the stadiums throughout games, at partner workshops and events, on broadcast and online media channels, websites, and more as a founding partner of the league.
Additionally, AFL will collaborate with the Rwandan Ministry of Sports and Football Federation (FERWAFA) on initiatives to promote young football, such as creating a regional youth league.
The league will work with RwandAir, the national airline of Rwanda, to transport participating teams to nations on its routes.
Secretary General of CAF Véron Mosengo-Omba commented on the alliance
“The partnership with “Visit Rwanda” is a great milestone.
” I am pleased to announce our exciting partnership with a nation that epitomises the spirit of African football’s growth and potential.
“Together, we will unlock new horizons for the beautiful game on our continent, showcasing its breath-taking landscapes, vibrant culture, and the passion of our fans. We can’t wait to embark on this incredible journey together with
“Visit Rwanda”.”In a similar vein, Francis Gatare, Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Development Board said they are excited about the deal
“We’re excited to announce yet another partnership for the development and promotion of sports in Rwanda.
“This falls in line with our objectives of contributing to developing African talent and using football for economic development in our continent.
“Through this partnership, we aim to showcase the new Rwanda to over 1 billion audiences that will be watching the annual league, and to ensure that our young players, coaches, sports operators and private sector are supported across the entire ecosystem.”
Furthermore, Aurore Mimosa Munyangaju, Rwanda’s Minister of Sports also said:
“Sports is a great unifier for our continent and a partnership such as this with the
African Football League, is a rare opportunity for young football talents and local
leagues in Africa. We look forward to having more Rwandans showcase their footballing talent on this platform that reaches millions of global audiences and highlight Africa as a football powerhouse.”