The Emirates FA Cup trophy has embarked on its first-ever tour of Africa, courtesy of the competition’s title sponsor Emirates.
The trophy, which is being accompanied by Emirates FA Cup ambassador and former England international David James, left London on Sunday 9 October on a flight bound for Accra, Ghana.
Upon arrival on Monday, the trophy took part in an airside photo shoot with Emirates cabin crew and personal, and was attended by Henrik Du Preez, Emirates Country Manager for Ghana.
It will remain in Ghana for two days, attending a variety of events including a meet and greet with competition winners from a local radio programme, who will have the opportunity to take photos with the famous piece of silverware and the 2008 FA Cup winner.
James and the trophy will then travel to Nairobi, Kenya, where they will spend a further two days attending events with Emirates, the media, and a local football club, before returning to London on Friday 14 October.
The airline became the title sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup – football’s original domestic cup competition – during the 2015-16 season as part of a three-year sponsorship deal with The FA.
Over 700 clubs entered the competition and over two million fans have already attended an Emirates FA Cup tie this season, with the first round proper due to start in November.
The competition has gone from strength to strength in recent years, becoming one of the most dominant brands in English football with a truly global reach involving thousands of fans across the globe.
The FA’s head of commercial partnerships, Dan Kiddle, said: “Emirates is a prestigious and global brand and our important partnership with them has helped us widen the reach of the Emirates FA Cup to fans all over the world.
“This tour presents an exciting opportunity for the thousands of football fans in Africa to get a little closer to the competition its famous piece of silverware.
“We are thankful to Emirates for making this happen and look forward to further developing our relationship over the course of the season.”
The fourth round qualifying will take place on Saturday 15 October.
