Famous trophy heads for Africa

Football fans in several African countries will have the chance to see the world-famous UEFA Champions League trophy when it goes on tour in February, March and April.

See and touch
The tour will give football enthusiasts in Nigeria, Algeria, Egypt and South Africa the chance to see and touch the famous trophy which has been contested by the world's greatest players and teams for more than five decades. Famous players connected with the UEFA Champions League will accompany the Trophy Tour. Previous UEFA Champions League Trophy Tours have taken place in Asia and South America in 2007 and 2008 respectively, and were a huge success.

This year's African Tour dates are:
26-28 February: Lagos (Nigeria)
11-12 March: Algiers (Algeria)
26-28 March: Cairo (Egypt)
10-12 April: Cape Town (South Africa)
17-19 April: Johannesburg (South Africa)

'Something back'
"The UEFA Champions League has a long and distinguished heritage and is the pinnacle of European club football," said UEFA marketing director Philippe Le Floc'h. "The trophy itself represents the ultimate prize of the UEFA Champions League globally. We are happy that by taking the trophy to Africa with Heineken, African football fans will have the chance to glimpse the trophy that so many of their compatriots who are playing in Europe are striving to win. The Trophy Tour with Heineken is a chance for us to give something back to football fans in Africa."

Brand passion
"As the most international premium beer brand on the planet, we want to share the unique experience of the UEFA Champions League with fans from every continent," said Hans Erik Tuijt, Heineken's brand activation manager. "African consumers are passionate about the UEFA Champions League and the Heineken brand. It promises to be a fantastic series of events and we can promise our consumers a truly memorable experience."

South American trip
Last season, Heineken took the trophy to South America for a tour to fans in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Santiago (Chile), Mexico City and Monterrey (Mexico). More than 51,500 fans saw the trophy and a further 247 million viewers tuned in to see it on television.