When talking about football, people often mention Africa due to the continent’s passion for the sport. Last year, five African teams were among the top 32 teams that participated in the group stage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, and two African teams reached the Round of 16. The Moroccan team, known as the "Atlas Lions" of North Africa, advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament, creating history in African football, and raising hopes for future success.  

A discussion of African football is not complete without the mention of African stars. With a population of 1.3 billion, Africa has always produced abundant football talents. Many African-born footballers like Didier Drogba and Sadio Mane have become the shining stars of the World Cup, European Cup, Premier League, Ligue 1 and other top tournaments. With admiration and innate love for football, these stars have fully demonstrated the charm of African football to the world with superb skills and talents, and made a contribution to world football. The inspirational stories of these stars have also inspired countless Africans to pursue their dreams and hope for a better life, especially teenagers. 

The Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) is the largest and most influential sporting event in Africa. It was born in 1957 and has been held 33 times so far. According to official statistics, a total of about 1 billion people from more than 90 countries have watched the previous CAN matches. The tournament is so popular on the continent that some people joke all the alarm clocks in Africa are set at the same time during the event. 

Football is not just a sport in Africa, it is an integral part of life. 

APSONIC in Africa 

APSONIC is the most important motorcycle brand under Chinese company Sincerity Holding Group. With the motto of “Fast, Convenient and Superior,” APSONIC entered Africa as early as 2005 and has become one of the best-known motorcycle brands on the continent. 

APSONIC, with the brand proposition of "good quality, good life", emphasises the relationship among excellent motorcycles, people and good life. Compared with developed countries that have entered the automobile era, high-quality motorcycles can bring more hope and convenience to the consumers in Africa, where public transportation is insufficient, purchasing power is limited, and agriculture is the dominant source of livelihood. With its unwavering commitment to high quality of product and service, APSONIC is deeply loved by African users.  

APSONIC and African football 

Based on its in-depth insight into social life in Africa, APSONIC knows that football and motorcycles are two indispensable aspects of a good life - APSONIC ensures quality travel, and football provides a source of happiness. 

However, local football in most African countries still faces many difficulties. There is an obvious gap compared to developed countries such as European countries in terms of training equipment, technical research and tournament preparation, leading to underutilisation or waste of many football talents. 

In order to support the development of African football, help more young people in Africa to realise their football dreams, and contribute to the society, APSONIC recently decided to sponsor CAN. The company has reached a strategic cooperation with the Confederation of African Football and become the official sponsor of the 34th CAN to be held in Côte d’Ivoire. The signing ceremony was held on 9 October 2023. 

The sponsorship of CAN is the single-largest social responsibility project of APSONIC. At the same time, APSONIC has become the first Chinese motorcycle brand to sponsor CAN. 

It is hoped that Sincerity Holding Group, the parent company of APSONIC, will inject fresh energy into the development of African football, and also set a good example for the overseas development of China’s motorcycle industry. 

Zhang Lian, chairman of Sincerity Holding Group, signs a cooperation agreement with Véron Mosengo-Omba, general secretary of the Confederation of African Football