Over the last five months, Guinness Night Football has brought together football fans across Africa to celebrate the beautiful game in a series of unforgettable events.
The heart of Guinness Night Football was the 5-a-side tournament featuring the cream of African players, unearthing some of the finest street ballers and grassroots talent the continent has to offer and sending representatives from four different countries to the Pan African final in Lagos.
However, the events have been about so much more than the footballing action, as they highlighted the best of African culture and music, and allowed fans of the continent’s favourite stout to network and unwind.
Goal.com's first taste of Guinness Night Football came in Uganda, and the inaugural programme in the country came to a thrilling conclusion on December 7 during a memorable night in Kampala.
Fans, a bottle of Guinness rarely far from their reach, enjoyed playing PlayStation in one area, while others fought it out at different foosball tables to the soundtrack of a DJ Ciza masterclass on the turntables.
As if that wasn’t enough, with two queen dancers in tow, Uganda’s female dancehall superstar Cindy entertained revellers during a seven-hour fun-filled event by performing some of her biggest hits, including Copy Cat and Boom Party.
In the final to decide the best 5-a-side team in the land, Team 13 won the title by defeating Fort Portal’s Uganda Pentecostal University students on penalties following a tournament which had involved teams from three different territories in the country.
Big occasions call for big performing acts, and it had to be Big Trill, the man whose Party After Party song was rocking continental airwaves in late 2019, to welcome champions—Team 13—onto the podium.
“This is just the beginning,” said Guinness Uganda Brand Manager Cathy Twesigye after the event. “There is so much more to come. Our focus is on you, the fans, you are made of more.”
She was right, and Kenya were the next country to enjoy their own GNF finale, as the best players from Machakos, Kisumu, Nairobi and Nakuru convened in Kitengela, Kajiado County, for a memorable evening of football and fun.
DJ Teargas and DJ Gibbz delighted fans with some sizzling playlists, while Stream FC came up against Bangers FC in the final.
Again, spotkicks were required following a 1-1 draw, with Stream FC converting all of their efforts in the shootout.
“We had a strategy to execute, although it did not go our way during the first half,” said elated Stream skipper Calvin Ogallo. “During the second half, we regrouped and had a chance to kill the game.
“I am glad to have captained my team to the trophy.”
As a reward for their victory, Ogallo and selected teammates received their tickets to Lagos to represent the East African nation in the Pan African Extravaganza.
“I never knew that one day I would board a plane in my entire life,” he added, while shedding tears, “I am happy that finally I will also board a plane and will be looking forward to the experience.
“I want to thank Guinness, because if it were not for them to bring such a tournament, then maybe I could have never lived such an experience.”
The Guinness Night Football spectacle moved next to Cameroon, where their inaugural GNF programme came to a glittering climax on January 11 in Douala.
Cameroon is a country that loves both football and Guinness, and the revellers who made the trip to the Canal Olympia Bessengue were well rewarded with a wonderful atmosphere and a raucous celebration of sport and music.
At the heart of the event was the 5-a-side final, where the teams were welcomed into the arena with UV lights and live music.
Before the final, Indomitable Lionesses star Ajara Njoya greeted the crowd, taking to the stage and thanking everyone for the support she’d received throughout her career.
She juggled the ball before shooting into the distance, with the public rushing in unison to catch it, and also joined local artist Salatiel on stage to dance to the beat of Rambo—a popular song in Cameroon—before the musician played his other hits including Anita, We are Champions, Ca se passé ici and Weekend.
The dancing didn’t end there, as a group of young dancers called Les Lascars performed for the crowd under the neon lights, taking the audience through a musical tour de force, including the Champions League anthem, old-school rap, Cameroonian rhythms and Latin music, presenting a world music tour in five minutes.
In the main event, the 5-a-side final, Grande Guinness defeated Petite Guinness to reach the Lagos final, with penalties again required to separate the two sides.
“I come from far away,” said winner Stephane Eboue. “When I think that, this morning, I didn’t have transportation money to get here and now I just won a plane ticket... it’s extraordinary.”
The celebrations went on into the small hours, with Guinness aficionados dancing to a DJ who accompanied them until close.
The entire evening was overwhelming proof that Cameroon certainly knows how to celebrate football —and Guinness— like few others..
The final regional centre was Nigeria, West African powerhouses, where football fans and foes were able to enjoy a night of games, music, food and fashion on January 18 in Abuja.
Neon lights, glow paint and sounds from DJ XMix took the roof off the B.M.O Events Arena as fans thronged into the massive space, taking in all the lights, flavours and loud music booming from the speakers placed right at the entrance.
There was also artistic Henna designs, intense mini-rivalries at the PlayStation area, and the hustle to grab limited edition Guinness merchandise at The Drik pop-up store.
The event had something for everyone: Pro Evolution Soccer on the PlayStation was a major attraction, while the body painting also went down well with merrymakers. One of the highlights was the food menu, prepared by culinary experts, that included a Guinness-infused apple crumble and ice cream dish called ‘VAR delight’ and ‘the hat-trick’, which consisted of diced, marinated lamb chops!
Brought together by the love of football, this throbbing ball of energy came to a thrilling climax with the crowning of the winning 5-a-side team, as Team Corporate defeated Team Government on penalties following a 3-3 draw.
As the winning side contemplated the prospect of representing Nigeria on home soil in Lagos, local superstar Magnito ran through some of his big hits, including Tesumole, while Guinness also organised giveaways to hand over 10,000 Naira to the Most Valuable Fan of the evening, decided by mathematics and dancing competitions.
To conclude the event, Nigerian hip hop artist, Minna-born Ice Prince performed some of his big numbers—Whiskey, Replay, Superstar and Aboki—before Fireboy DML closed off the show. Fans particularly enjoyed his slow-groove pop renditions of Vibration, What if I say, and the popular Jealous, which was nominated for Song of the Year at the 2020 Soundcity MVP Awards Festival.
And so to Lagos, and the Pan-African Extravaganza to cap off the entire Guinness Night Football programme and crown the continental winners.
It was an event the likes of which Africa has rarely seen before.
Lagos football fans were treated to an extraordinary evening of entertainment and sport as the campaign came to an electrifying conclusion, with support from African artists such as Bebe Cool, Salatiel, DJ Neptune, Sauti Sol and Davido.
The special guest—Manchester United and England great Rio Ferdinand—was another star attraction, and the Guinness ambassador was greeted by a rapturous ovation upon his arrival before meeting supporters, signing autographs and touring the venue.
Finally, to pump the crowd before attention turned to football, fans enjoyed a performance by dance group Stinex, who had won many admirers during the GNF event in Abuja earlier in the month.
In the final, Team Bold United, inspired on by guest player and Nigerian hip-hop prodigy Davido, defeated Bebe Cool’s Team Gold Harps 3-2 in a stirring encounter.
The versatile Ogallo, the star of the Kenyan event, was again one of the stars of the show, while Cameroon’s Membouew Fokouen netted the decisive goal for the eventual winners.
“This is a big boost for my career and it will motivate me to push harder towards achieving greater things in football,” Man of the Match Ogallo said after the final. “I will forever be thankful to Guinness for this rare privilege.”
Following the match, Bebe Cool, Salatiel, Peruzzi, DJ Neptune, Sauti Sol and Do2dtun took centre-stage as they delighted spectators with music and dance, ensuring the party went on until the early hours beneath the Lagos night.
Peruzzi mesmerised with his award-winning track ‘Majesty’, while Davido ran through some of his big hits, including ‘If’ and ‘Risky.
It was his first time in Lagos, yet, Cameroon’s Salatiel won over new fans as he performed many of his most popular songs to ensure that the first ever Guinness Night Football campaign came to a spectacular conclusion, leaving an indelible mark on all who attended.
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