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Takudzwa Chitsiga and Prince Mukuna, Harare Bureau
DELTA Beverages, through the Castle Lager brand, yesterday unveiled a programme to sponsor up to 10 Zimbabwean football fans to watch the 2018 Fifa World Cup Finals in Russia.

The company revealed this when they launched the Castle Lager Football World Cup promotion with a focus on the Castle Lager 5s Zimbabwe Edition.

The brewing company is working with continental luminary Samuel Eto’o, the legendary Cameroonian forward, as their prime ambassador.

Former Warriors star, Tinashe “Father” Nengomasha, one of an elite group of Zimbabwean footballers to take part at the Nations Cup finals, fronts the local programme.

The Castle Football World Cup promotion will feature the largest 5-A-Side amateur football tournament in the country.

“What we love about five-a-side football is how it brings people together in the spirit of friendship and camaraderie,” said Stanley Meck, Brand Manager for Castle Lager.

“While sport will always be a competitive endeavour, we know that five-a-side football, by its very nature, is about the social experience and connecting with your inner circle. It is also one of the easiest games to organise because it needs very little space compared to a regular soccer match and has less than half the players. So, it is relatively easy to get your mates together and get a game going.

“The tournament will run across six countries in Africa including Lesotho, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe who have their own ambassadors in Lehlohonolo Seema (Lesotho), Christopher Katongo (Zambia), Siza Dlamini (Swaziland); Brian Baloyi (South Africa) and Ivo Mapunda (Tanzania).”

The Castle Africa 5s will be played at country level as play-offs in each country and culminate to finals that will take place in Lusaka, Zambia.

Nengomasha, the local ambassador, said he was humbled to be part of the programme.

“It’s very hard to describe the experience of being in a packed stadium during a high-profile match,” he said.

“I am excited that fellow Zimbabweans will be getting these same experiences I have also had as a professional, if we win the five-aside challenge on a continental level.

“I appreciate Castle Lager for putting together this programme and I am happy to be the local Castle Lager 5-Aside ambassador,” said Nengomasha.

Castle Lager acquired the exclusive rights to be the official beer of the Fifa World Cup for Zimbabwe, and the brand has pledged to ensure that as many Zimbabweans as possible have the opportunity to have a more personal experience of the Word Cup through this association.

The campaign is centred on the brand’s theme, “Live It, Feel It and Share It” as consumers all over the country will sit to enjoy their favourite beer during the expected twists and turns of the Fifa World Cup games

The announcement of the World Cup package comes at a time Castle Lager has re-affirmed its commitment to the domestic Premiership and the recent Castle Challenge Cup.  The brand remains the largest sponsor of football in the country with a fund of over $1 250 000 spread between direct sponsorship, media and communications and consumer facing promotions this year alone.