By Harriette Kasirye
Football is a truly global game, played across territories, regions and in practically every street and spare piece of open ground or field across the world. It is a game that excites, thrills, unites and frequently infuriates, but never ceases to engage. It’s no wonder it is called the “Beautiful Game”.
Today the game is played against a very different backdrop of empty stadiums and cheering sounds channelled through sound systems, with the on-field shouts of players and the instructions from the touchline clearly audible.
Football has not been spared the damaging impact of the coronavirus which causes COVID-19. We have seldom in recent times seen turmoil on such a global scale as that caused by this disease. The effects of the pandemic have been wide ranging, from the obvious health and fatality consequences, to the economic fall-out, and the deep emotional and psychological effects it has had on everyone, from young to old.
And yet, despite the slightly artificial nature of the restart of football all across the world, there is no doubt that the Beautiful Game, in a time of tremendous uncertainty, is one of the few guaranteed storylines which has the ability to lift, inspire and engage people. All across Africa. All across the world.
Football also has the power to unite, even across footballing rivalries. The pandemic has taught us many lessons, one of the most important being that we are all the same and that in times such as these, there is strength in unity of purpose, as well as diversity. So as much as our club football kits spot different colours and we cheer on different footballing heroes, ultimately, we are all driven to achieve the same goals, on and off the field.
Africa is a continent brimming with footballing passion, fervour, talent, dreams, and ambitions and soccer is the continent’s most popular game. This is why Absa has been, and continues to be, a proud ambassador and supporter of the sport.
Absa Bank Group is proud to announce that it is the official banking partner of the English Premier League (EPL) in Africa for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons and is committed to providing The Ultimate Assist for football fans and customers across the continent.
Absa’s association with the EPL will see fans #GetTheAssist from Absa, which includes exclusive access to live EPL action, managers, legends, and pundits, as well as signed club and player merchandise and innovative and interactive content and engagements.
There is simply no other league like the EPL for electrifying excitement, unpredictability, and a level of competitiveness. No other major football league in the world can come close to matching it.
From the dominance of powerhouses Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City to the epic fairy-tale story of unfancied Leicester’s crowning glory in the 2015/16 season, the EPL is, quite simply, the greatest league in the world.
As if to prove the point about the unique ability of the EPL to surprise and delight, Match Week 4 of the current EPL season saw Tottenham Hotspur thrash Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford. The shock of that result barely had time to register before Liverpool, the supremely dominant reigning EPL champions, were humbled 7-2 by Aston Villa, whom themselves only just avoided relegation on the final day of the previous season.
Just as Africa is home to many EPL stars such as Sadio Mané, Mohamed Salah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Wilfried Zaha, and Riyad Mahrez, so too is Africa home to Absa, a bank with the continent at its heart.
At Absa, we are inspired by our customers to drive growth and bring possibilities to life across the continent and the association with the EPL is just one way in which Absa seeks to do this.
At the same time as delivering one of the world’s great sporting and entertainment theatres to fans on the continent, Absa, a leading and trusted African financial services group, is also perfectly positioned to bring the very best in digital solutions for its customers.
The record for the most goal assists in a single Premier League season is 20. This was first set by French and EPL footballing great, Thierry Henry, in the 2002/3 campaign, and equalled by Belgian midfield Maestro Kevin De Bruyne in the 2019/2020 season.And just as assists are crucial to scoring goals in the EPL, Absa stands ready to assist customers in reaching their goals through our broad range of innovative product and services offerings. These include Contactless Cards, mobile banking and ChatBanking, which allows customers to bank through channels such as WhatsApp and our online platform.
In a post-COVID – 19 world where a contactless or low-touch environment is increasingly the norm, Absa, as a digital-first African bank, strives to help make banking easier, safer, and faster. Absa’s digital products will ensure that you can bank safely and conveniently from anywhere.
Absa has always had a very strong and long-standing relationship with football and our association with the EPL is an extension of this as well as our firm belief that Africa is an integral part of the global community. And while we strive to bring the very best global products and experiences to local audiences, we do so with a vibrant and distinctly African flavour.
This is one more demonstration of our Africanacity, that unique ability of Africans to always find a way to get things done no matter what; which has enabled Absa to bring more life to the game that football fans on the continent love.
Putting customers first is at the heart of everything we do, and, in an increasingly digital age, this also means serving our customers on digital platforms that offer ultimate safety and convenience.
The 2020/21 English Premier League season is scheduled to run to 16 May 2021, so for exclusive access to Premier League Players, Legends, and Pundits #GetTheAssist from Absa.
The author is the Head of Marketing and Corporate Relations at Absa Bank Uganda
