A new and exciting five-a-side football tournament has been launched by the Guangzhou Open African League this October.
The competition is sponsored by MoneyGram, a global provider of innovative money transfer and payment services, and will attract over 40 football teams representing 14 countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Senegal, Angola, Guinea Bissau, Republic of Guinea, Mali, Cameroon, and Cote d'Ivoire.
The first games kicked off on Oct 22 and the tournament will run for further two weekends before culminating in the Grand Finals held on Nov 5, 2016.
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A player lines up a shot at the first game of football tournament of Guangzhou Open African League, Oct 22. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
Sabrina Chan, a marketing director of Asia and China at MoneyGram, was proud to be a part of the first edition of the competition.
"We are overwhelmed by the response to the tournament from the African community. It's inspiring that so many teams have registered and it shows the passion for football among the African communities living in Guangzhou."
Chan later said that she felt the spirit of the competition was indicative of a company that works hard to bring African communities closer together.
"At MoneyGram we constantly strive to bring people closer through reliable money transfer services connecting families across geographies. With this tournament we are bringing together the African communities for something they all are passionate about – football."
Sabine Bauchau, marketing director for Africa at MoneyGram, also felt the success of the competition was symbolically important for the company.
"The excitement for MoneyGram Guangzhou Open African League shows not only the great interest in football but also how important it is for us at MoneyGram to engage with the African communities we serve. We look forward to seeing this tournament grow,"
The tournament will host its second weekend of qualifying matches on Oct 29. The champions will win $2,000 and runners-up will win $1,000.
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Players scrap for the ball at the exciting game, Oct 22. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] |
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