MTN bets big on Black Stars in landmark sponsorship deal
Next month, Ghana’s Black Stars return to action against Chad in N’djamena and Mali in Accra, chasing a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico.
The campaign is about more than football glory; it is about commercial opportunity. For corporate Ghana, another World Cup berth offers fertile ground for brand visibility, consumer engagement and national euphoria — and MTN has positioned itself early, signing a landmark deal to become headline sponsor of Ghana’s national football teams.
From September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2027, MTN will back the Black Stars, Black Queens, Black Satellites, Black Starlets and the Elite U-19 Championship in what industry watchers describe as one of the most significant sponsorship packages in recent memory.
The deal is not just about football. It is about MTN reinforcing its brand dominance, deepening customer loyalty and cementing its role as Ghana’s single biggest corporate backer of football.
MTN is no stranger to the Ghana Football Association (GFA). Its 14-year sponsorship of the MTN FA Cup has revived one of Ghana’s most storied competitions, producing drama, underdog triumphs and fresh commercial energy. According to MTN Ghana CEO Stephen Blewett, this success inspired the leap to the national teams.
That track record matters. Unlike the Ghana Premier League — often mired in controversy and unable to attract consistent blue-chip backing — the FA Cup has become a reliable commercial product.
Extending that stability to the national teams allows MTN to leverage the Black Stars’ unrivalled brand power at home and abroad.
Black Stars, Ghana’s most valuable brand
No Ghanaian product commands more commercial pull than the Black Stars. The team is the FA’s biggest cash cow, a unifying force that transcends politics and class, and a magnet for sponsorships whenever a World Cup looms.
The 2026 tournament carries even greater resonance. With matches in the US, Canada and Mexico, the World Cup will be staged in regions where Ghanaian diasporas are vibrant, passionate and commercially influential.
For sponsors such as MTN, this means a double reward: exposure to local fans and international audiences with significant consumer power.
Every World Cup appearance has delivered commercial gold. In 2006, even as a non-sponsor, MTN (then operating as Scancom’s Areeba) mobilised hundreds of fans to Germany, cleverly riding the wave of national excitement to rebrand from Spacefon to Areeba.
It was a masterclass in ambush marketing that stole the limelight from the then-headline sponsor, Gold Fields.
This time, however, MTN holds the official rights, securing “early bird” status before other corporates rush in after qualification is sealed.
The move positions MTN not just as a sponsor but as the sponsor of Ghana’s World Cup journey.
The Black Stars’ sponsorship portfolio has shifted hands repeatedly over the past two decades. Gold Fields, Glo, and GNPC have all enjoyed spells as headline sponsors, while other corporates hovered at the edges. But no company has shown the consistency of MTN.
By stepping in early, MTN has effectively ring-fenced the most prized commercial property in Ghanaian sport.
With competitors now jostling for secondary partnerships, MTN’s dominant visibility across multiple national teams — male and female, senior and youth — sets it apart as the anchor brand of Ghana football.
Strategic advantages for MTN
The commercial logic is clear:
• Unrivalled Visibility: The Black Stars’ World Cup push guarantees global media coverage, positioning MTN in front of millions of eyeballs across Africa and beyond.
• Customer Engagement: Football offers unmatched opportunities for fan activations, mobile promotions, and loyalty campaigns — areas where MTN has proven expertise.
• Market Differentiation: In a competitive telecom market, MTN’s deep alignment with the national passion strengthens emotional ties with consumers.
• Youth and Inclusion: By covering the Black Queens, Satellites, Starlets and youth championships, MTN broadens its reach across demographics, aligning with values of empowerment and gender inclusivity.
Mr Blewett framed the deal as “more than a sponsorship,” calling it a commitment to national pride and sustainable football development.
Significance of new deal
Unlike past headline sponsors, MTN enters this partnership with unmatched credibility, having already invested heavily in Ghanaian football.
Beyond competitions, the telecom giant has nurtured talent through the MTN Soccer Academy, a televised platform that produced players such as Gideon Baah, who went on to professional careers with Asante Kotoko and with clubs in Europe and the MLS.
The former Accra Polytechnic star also made appearances with the Black Satellites and a cameo for the Black Stars against Canada in 2015.
This history of blending grassroots development with top-tier sponsorship gives MTN an authenticity few rivals can match.
The new package extends that narrative, binding its brand story to Ghana’s football story at every level.
Golden window
With the 2026 World Cup looming, the timing could not be better. If Ghana qualifies, MTN will enjoy front-row seats at a global showcase, its brand woven into every moment of Black Stars euphoria.
Even if qualification falters, the two-year scope of the deal ensures that MTN’s investment covers multiple competitive cycles, from AFCON campaigns to youth tournaments.
For the GFA, the deal signals a turning point. After years of financial strain and patchy corporate support, securing MTN as the headline sponsor brings credibility and much-needed stability.
For MTN, it is both a calculated gamble and a strategic masterstroke — betting big on the enduring magic of the Black Stars.
