WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Nike v. Adidas: Soccer World Cup sponsors gear up for England, Spain finale
When England and Spain face off in Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final, there will be more than sporting pride at stake. A potential multimillion dollar sales boost is also on the table for the winning team’s sponsor – Nike, or Adidas.
Sports sponsorship is a huge driver of sales for apparel manufacturers. In 2019, Nike’s home jersey for the World Cup-winning U.S. National Women’s Team became the top-selling soccer jersey, for both men and women, ever sold in a single season on its website, executives told investors.
Overall revenue in the first quarter after the tournament grew 10%, Nike said, including double-digit growth in the company’s women’s business “off the back of an incredible summer of celebrating female athletes.”
Apparel revenue from the 2019 Women’s World Cup was four times bigger than it was for the 2015 event, executives said.
Now longtime rivals Nike, sponsoring England, and Adidas, sponsoring Spain, will be hoping to build on that performance.
“It’s after the game when they really start to get that exposure and bang for their buck,” added Liz Papasakelariou, the North American consumer products lead for consulting group Publicis Sapient.
Nike and Adidas accounted for the majority of the kits worn in the women’s tournament, with 23 of the 32 team jerseys in the newly expanded field supplied by the two companies. Nike backed 13 teams, while Adidas had 10.
An unpredictable tournament with major power players knocked out early created bumps in demand for merchandise from the two sportswear giants.
Nike lost enormous earning potential as the U.S. team, which it has sponsored since 1995, suffered their earliest exit ever in the tournament.
However, its deal with the European champions England has proven lucrative as the Lionesses go for their maiden title in the final against Spain.
The England women’s jersey, priced at 79.95 pounds ($102), was sold out in all sizes except for extra-small on retailer JD Sports’ (JD.L) website on Wednesday, mimicking the demand seen during the Lionesses’ historic run to the European Championship last year.
England jerseys looked set to sell out before the final at retailer Sports Direct, with a “massive uptick” in demand for celebration flags and bunting too, according to Ger Wright, managing director of sport at parent company Frasers Group (FRAS.L).
“The demand for the Lionesses Nike jersey has been incredibly strong, and given their tremendous win to make it into the final, we expect fans will be showing their support by wearing the team’s colors,” Nike said.
Adidas said it sees “continued demand” for Spain jerseys and is replenishing stocks in retail partners and its own stores. Its replica jerseys are priced at 90 euros, while authentic jerseys cost 140 euros.
The German sportswear giant also plans to roll out “bespoke celebratory apparel” within days of the final if Spain lift the trophy.
Tournament co-host Australia’s run to the semi-final, where they lost to England on Wednesday, also prompted “unprecedented demand” for the team’s jersey, Nike said, with 13 times as many sold to date in Australia than in the same period of the 2019 tournament.
Adidas’ CEO earlier this month said demand for its Women’s World Cup products overall has been stronger than it expected.
Spanish broadcaster TVE saw an average of 1.92 million viewers with a 45.5% share during Spain’s semi-final win over Sweden, making it the most watched Women’s World Cup match yet in the country.
With an average audience of 7.13 million viewers – and a peak of 11.15 million – Australia’s semi-final against England was the highest-rated television program in Australia recorded by research firm OzTAM since it launched in 2001.
-Reuters
Despite wintry conditions in Blida, on the outskirts of the Algerian capital, Algiers, Nigeria’s U17 girls dug their feet into the ground on Friday night.
They achieved a scoreless draw that qualified them for this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals.
Holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage, the 2002 bronze medallists adopted a calm and collected pattern that easily soaked up the expected pressure from the hosts and then relied on fast breaks to try and pull the trigger on their opponents.
Although they created better chances on the night, the Flamingos failed to make dominance in possession pay, but swiftly collected the ticket to Morocco on a 4-0 aggregate win.
The difference over two legs of the final round was a remarkable display in the opening leg by the Flamingos, during which a brace by Queen Joseph and one each by Zainab Raji and substitute Aisha Animashaun ensured a 4-0 win.
The Flamingos will now be one of Africa’s five representatives (including hosts Morocco) at this year’s FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup finals taking place from 17th October – 5th November. The final competition will entertain 24 teams for the very first time.
Since the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup competition was launched in New Zealand in 2008, Nigeria have failed to make the finals only once – the 2018 tournament hosted by Uruguay.
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Despite heavy first leg loss, Algeria hopeful of a turnaround in Nigeria’s Flamingos clash
The Algeria U17 women’s national team still hope for a possible turnaround in this Friday night clash with Nigeria’s Flamingos.
Algeria lost 4-0 in the first leg match in Ikenne last Saturday.
The Algerians completed their preparations on Thursday at the Sidi Moussa National Technical Centre, the eve of the return match against Nigeria.
The return match is scheduled for this Friday at 8 p.m. at the Mustapha Tchaker Stadium in Blida. Aggregate winners will pick a ticket to the FIFA U-17 Women’s 2025 World Cup.
According to sources in Algeria, all the players took part in the final session, during which coach Abdenour Mira finalised the tactical details for the make or mar encounter.
Despite the heavy defeat conceded in the first leg (4-0), the young Algerians approach this match with the desire to finish well and deliver an honourable performance against a formidable Nigerian team.
During the technical meeting held early in the afternoon at the FAF headquarters, in the presence of representatives of the two teams and the organisers, it was decided that Algeria will play in green, while Nigeria will wear white.
The match will be officiated by Cameroonian Aline Marie Noelle Guimbang, assisted by her compatriot Laurie Marcelle Tsafack Teikeu and Chadian Victorine Ngarassoum.
The fourth official will also be Cameroonian, Innoncentia Njang Ntangti.
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WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Under possible cold weather in Blida, Nigeria’s Flamingos set to grab World Cup ticket
The weather is most likely to be cold, but Nigeria’s U17 girls, Flamingos, are set to continue a tradition of qualifying for every edition of the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup, which has had eight editions, out of which the Flamingos featured in seven.
Only Japan, with 100 per cent attendance, has featured in more competitions than Nigeria’s Flamingos.
They look poised to feature again after a 4-0 defeat of Algeria in the first leg of the final qualifying series.
Apart from their opponents, Algeria, they have the expected cold weather to battle with at the Stade Mustapha Tchaker in Blida (outside Algiers), on Friday night.
Friday’s encounter against their Algerian counterparts is the final leg of a final qualifying round fixture, with the Flamingos, bronze-medallists from the 2022 finals in India and quarterfinalists from the last edition in the Dominican Republic, holding on to a 4-0 first-leg advantage.
The Federation Algerienne de Football (FAF) has scheduled the match to kick off at 8 pm, at a time when the winds will begin to blow in stronger from the Mediterranean Sea.
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