Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – The prolonged postponement of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 is finally coming to an end as the regional football event is now scheduled to happen from 5 December 2021 to 1 January 2022, and with this, football fans in the SEA region can now reignite their passion for the sport once again.
With the football competition coming to fruition, OPPO has been announced as the official smartphone partner of the cup. This was brokered by SPORTFIVE, the global sports and entertainment partnerships agency, marking OPPO’s debut in the sporting arena in the region.
OPPO said that the partnership goes in line with its strategy to leverage sports to connect with consumers and enhance its brand influence across the region. Through this sponsorship, OPPO aims to use its technology and innovation to inspire people to enjoy football wherever they are and to ‘play with heart’ whether on the field or in life.
The AFF Suzuki Cup is a biennial football competition, contested by the men’s national teams of the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) and accredited by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) – the international governing body of football association. The cup for 2020 was postponed twice due to the pandemic with the first one announced in July last year, and was eventually rescheduled a few months after that, which now leads to the said final dates.
The partnership with OPPO will also see it amplifying its brand through brand activations across the tournament’s multiple platforms including naming and presenting rights to the ‘OPPO Man of the Match’. OPPO will also be the title sponsor of this year’s ‘Decibel Challenge’, which was previously rolled out in 2018, rewarding the loudest fan groups among all the SEA nations during the tournament.
Jimmy Yi, OPPO’s president for APAC, shared that they hope to bring the smartphone technology to each and every football fan in SEA, giving them the opportunity to closely interact with the OPPO brand and experience the products, while they enjoy the matches and cherish the special moments created.
“As the official sponsor for many events around the world, OPPO is no stranger to the spirit of sporting enthusiasts. The AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 will be instrumental to us in connecting with the millions of football fans of the event, as well as underpin our name as a strong supporter of the game,” said Yi.
Meanwhile, Echo Li, the managing director of Greater China and SVP of Global Partnerships at SPORTFIVE, commented that they are proud to welcome OPPO to the AFF Suzuki Cup family, and they fully support the brand to develop passionate and meaningful partnerships with football fans across the region.
“OPPO is a quintessential example of a fast-growing Chinese brand going global via the power of sports. We strive to support OPPO in creating unforgettable fan experiences at the tournament while setting a benchmark for other brands with global aspirations,” said Li.
