iNews reported on September 3 that Visit Ghana had agreed a £10 million deal to become Sunderland AFC’s front-of-shirt sponsor. Discuss Ghana described it in a September 6 post on X as a record partnership that would put the tourism brand on the Premier League club’s match shirts.
The sponsorship would extend Ghana’s use of football to market tourism. The Ghana Tourism Authority joined two football organizations in October 2020 to launch a Visit Ghana tour promoting domestic and international travel. Ghana also launched its Destination Ghana campaign in London in April 2022, using the United Kingdom to attract British and European tourists.
Reports differ in how they describe the £10 million valuation. Footy Headlines called it an annual figure and the most lucrative sponsorship in Sunderland’s history, while iNews described a £10 million agreement. Sunderland began the 2026/27 season without a chest sponsor after its W88 gambling deal ended.
Ghana’s Speaker of Parliament said on August 3 that the private-sector-led project would put the Visit Ghana slogan on Sunderland jerseys during the 2026/27 season. The speaker said Parliament would not fund the project.
Discuss Ghana claimed the agreement would make Ghana the first African nation represented on a Premier League shirt front. Visit Rwanda had announced on July 14 that it was Aston Villa’s official front-of-shirt partner, tourism partner and coffee provider. The BBC reported that its branding would appear on the club’s men’s, women’s and academy kits for 2026/27.
Visit Ghana is the consumer tourism brand of the Ghana Tourism Authority, the public agency responsible for promoting and regulating tourism in Ghana. iNews said Sunderland’s sponsorship was expected to be unveiled around the club’s home game against Arsenal.
