The
Trophy of Africa’s most prestigious football tournament is headed to Port
Elizabeth, where Standard Bank and the Confederation of African Football (CAF)
are offering fans the opportunity to see and be photographed with the coveted
prize.
The
Orange Africa Cup of Nations, SOUTH AFRICA 2013 Trophy will be at the
Greenacres Mall in Port Elizabeth on 17 November from 11:00 to 15:00,
accompanied by two Bafana Bafana legends in Neil Tovey and Brian Baloyi.
This
follows the success of the Trophy Tour stop-over in Durban last month, where
hundreds of fans got to see and be photographed with the Trophy. They also
interacted with Neil Tovey and Brian Baloyi.
“We
had a great time in Durban, it was fun to meet the fans and see the excitement
on their faces for the upcoming tournament. Taking the Trophy to the people
like this is a wonderful idea from Standard Bank and they should be applauded
for the initiative,” Tovey says.
Baloyi
agrees and says it helps to build a sense of occasion ahead of the 2013 event.
“The
eyes of the continent will turn to South Africa in January next year and we
want to show them what fantastic hosts we are and what a great footballing
country this is. That is why we want to create a positive vibe among South
African fans and really help them get behind the tournament. Standard Bank has
gone a long way in achieving this,” Baloyi says.
Port
Elizabeth is known as the Friendly City and it is gearing up to hosts fans from
across the continent for the tournament that runs from January 19 to February
10. The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium will be a major host of matches, with seven
games to be played at the venue, including the third-place play-off.
The
city will be hosting Group B, which includes the Black Stars of Ghana, bronze
medalists in 2012 Mali, DR Congo and Niger. Both Tovey and Baloyi think it will
be a tough pool.
“On
the face of it you would say Ghana and Mali should advance, but the DR Congo
has Coach Claude LeRoy in charge and few people know more about African
football than him. I think he is appearing at his eighth Africa Cup of Nations
as a coach. And Niger have proven to be a stubborn opponent before too,” Tovey
says.
“It
is all about momentum and if any side can get a win in their first game, then
anything is possible, because that lifts the players, the technical staff and
the fans. In just about every Africa Cup of Nations tournament of the last 20
years there have been more fancied sides going out in the first round, so
anything is possible. Not many would have picked Zambia to get out of their
group, let alone with the trophy in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon,” Baloyi adds.
After
Port Elizabeth, Standard Bank takes the Trophy to the Jabulani Mall in Soweto
on 24 November (11:00-15:00), before the final stop at the Riverside Mall in
Nelspruit on 8 December (11:00-15:00).
Standard
Bank is the Official Banking Partner of the Orange Africa Cup of Nations, SOUTH
AFRICA 2013 and the Trophy Tour is a successfully established initiative by CAF
and the bank to present “Africa’s Cup” to fans in the run-up to the event. The 2008 tournament in Ghana and the 2010
event in Angola were also supported by Standard Bank Trophy Tours.
“We
are delighted to have the trophy back in Mzansi after hosting successful
Standard Bank Trophy Tours in the country ahead of previous Orange Africa Cup
of Nations tournaments. The fact that this time it will stay here until the
final of the 2013 event on February 10 makes it extra special.
“The
Africa Cup of Nations is a tournament steeped in history and over the past 55
years of competition we have seen some memorable tournaments. This Standard
Bank Trophy Tour is the start of what we hope will be another great memory for
the continent and further proof of South Africa’s tremendous ability to host
major international competitions,” says Jenny Pheiffer, Head of Brand and
Sponsorships, Standard Bank.
“We
see this as a major opportunity to connect with our customers, football fans
and our employees through our shared passion for Africa and African football.
It will allow them an opportunity to become part of the South Africa 2013
tournament and share their love for the game,” she added.
