Africell has done it again for the 3rd time in a row. First, in 2006, then in 2010, now again in 2014; thus Africell is establishing the Network as a trendsetter in sponsoring the broadcasting of Football World Cup Finals.
The Gambia may not be going to Brazil, but by courtesy of Africell, Brazil will surely come to The Gambia.
All 64 matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup will be watched live in the comfort of every Gambian home that has a TV screen, thanks to the foresight of Africell, teaming up with the national broadcaster, GRTS TV, to bring to the Gambian public world-class entertainment by the world topmost football players.
Be prepared to watch 32 countries from 5 continents, with an estimated global audience of 1.6 billion, focus on 12 cities in Brazil, from the kick-off in Sao Paulo on June 12 to the finals, scheduled to take place in the iconic Maracana stadium in Rio on July 13.
Africell Has Done Good to Secure This Coverage!!!
Over the years, as one of its socio-economic contributions to this country, Africell has taken enormous pride in bringing to the Gambian people, anything progressive and inspiring in the world of sport.
To this end, the Gambian people were able to enjoy the 2012 European Championship Cup and the African Cup of Nations over both the radio and the television.
Also, Africell has had a very positive impact in fronting and supporting various sporting events and associations for the benefit of The Gambia, such as: sponsoring the National Squad, The Scorpions, to organize an international football match between them and their Sierra Leonean counterparts; distributing sporting gears to seasonal Nawetan Football teams; and sponsoring competitions for other sports like basketball and wrestling; not to mention being at the forefront in the paying of the wages of the former Head Coach for The Scorpions, Paul Put, when he was needed by this country.
Not surprisingly, Africell is the holder of the Leading Business of the Year 2013 Award, being a record winner of this prestigious GCCI Award for seven consecutive years.
Africell has also been recognised and awarded Best Company in Support of Sports, by the Sports Journalist Association for three consecutive years.
Therefore, Africell is committed to making the 2014 FIFA World Cup on GRTS TV an event on Gambian television the public cannot afford to miss.
Africell, Always in Support of Sport!!!
Speaking at the signing ceremony held at the GRTS Building on MDI Road on Thursday, Sadibou Jammeh, GRTS Senior Marketing Manager, thanked the President of the Republic for securing this year’s World Cup rights, as well as paying the arrears of the previous World Cup, for them.
Mr Jammeh also thanked Africell for partnering with them as their local sponsor for broadcasting of the 64 games of the World Cup, saying the signing ceremony was a testimony to the local support Africell has for sport in general.
Africell has been very positive in terms of supporting sport in the country, he pointed out, adding that the prize attached to the broadcasting of the World Cup “is very huge” despite it coming every 4 years and it was for this reason they had to approach Africell for support.
Ebrima Barry, Admin and Human Resource director at Africell, said at Africell they are always very proud to be associated with sport and are happy to be partnership with GRTS, as well as to be associated with the help of the President of the Republic of The Gambia, who is also a big sports fan.
“We appreciate and applaud the President’s effort at bringing sport to where we want it,” he added.
Musa Sise, Africell’s Media Consultant, described the signing ceremony as a happy day for football lovers, especially for them at Africell.
“We are motivated, and in our pursuit for excellence and being number one,” he said.
He also described the World Cup as the single most watched sport in the world and for Africell to be associated with bringing the games of the biggest sport to the Gambian public shows Africell’s perseverance and efforts in trying to get the progress and development of sport in the country to the people.
He said that bringing to Gambians the best the world has to offer at this stage involves a huge amount of money and they at Africell are very happy to be associated with the World Cup.
“We are promising the people that they would be seeing for the very first time the very best of what it is going to be shown on TV,” Sise noted.
What was important was securing the World Cup and not the amount of the contract, he remarked, adding that they had a lot happening from now towards the end of the year.
He disclosed that it was going to be an exciting World Cup. Besides the amount of money paid for the World Cup, he noted, there is going to be an extra amount - about three million - that they would give out in terms of games and handouts.
Baboucarr Senghore, Senior Editor and Head of Sport at GRTS, said the World Cup had ever been a platform for the two institutions to continue to show the world what they could offer, adding that they partner together as respectable brands in the country.
Kemo Jatta, Marketing Manager at GRTS, who gave the vote of thanks, thanked Africell for sporting what he described as an important programme, as well as the President for getting them the rights to show the games.
“At GRTS we have always said that companies should partner with us in order to have interesting programs,” he said, adding that it was a collective responsibility to ensure they at GRTS have important and interesting programmes.
