First National Bank (FNB) is the first South African corporate to sign up as a National Supporter and Sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup taking place on our South African shores.

In Berlin yesterday, FIFA President Joseph Blatter announced FNB's US$30 million (R213 million) sponsorship of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, following an extensive search for the National Supporter in the financial services category.

"This deal marks an important moment on our joint journey to the first FIFA World Cup on African soil. The fact that FNB, a renowned South African company, has joined the sponsor family of the 2010 FIFA World Cup shows yet again how much the event is supported by the South African economy", said Blatter.

The announcement was made on the eve of the unveiling of the Official Emblem of the 2010 FIFA World Cup which marked the launch of FIFA's four-year-long "Win in Africa with Africa" campaign.

FNB takes on the role of the Official Bank of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to provide full service banking, including commercial and corporate transactional banking, foreign exchange transactions, as well as on and off-site ATMs at various locations serving the two FIFA competitions in South Africa.

These competitions are the 2010 FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009. The sponsorship comes with a package of advertising, promotional and marketing rights for both competitions in the financial products category within South Africa.

Speaking in Berlin, FNB Chief Executive Officer Michael Jordaan said FNB was proud to be the Official Bank for the FIFA events hosted in South Africa from now until 2010.

Michael Jordaan said FNB's 2010 FIFA World Cup sponsorship added to the Bank's rich soccer heritage spanning 20 years. FNB was the first corporate in South Africa to invest massively in South African football when it assisted the NPSL to fund the construction of the FNB Stadium, the country's premier soccer venue and a scene for some of the 2010 World Cup games, at the height of political turmoil in 1986.

"This was a visionary step which, coupled with the Bank's involvement in subsequent major nation-building soccer initiatives and our strong financial position, earned us the proud privilege of being in a position to help South Africa host the 2010 FIFA World Cup," said Jordaan.

Said Michael Jordaan: "From a national perspective, FNB's involvement in the 2010 FIFA World Cup will contribute to on-going national efforts to grow South Africa's economy and at the same time represents a major contribution to this unprecedented nation-building exercise".

He saluted the SA 2010 FIFA World Cup Local Organising Committee for bringing the international soccer showpiece home, and expressed the Bank's full confidence in the leadership of its Chief Executive Officer Danny Jordaan and his team in hosting a memorable tournament in 2010.

Danny Jordaan congratulated FNB for being the first South Africa corporate to join the group of 2010 FIFA World Cup sponsors, saying the Bank had demonstrated its passion for the development of football over the years.

"Being the First National Bank, you were the first in 2006, one of the first in 2010 and now one of the first South African companies for the World Cup. It's a long journey that we have travelled and we are very happy that you continue until the end," said Danny Jordaan.

Source: www.sagoodnews.co.za / 7 June 2006

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