Ghana is in advanced talks to put "Visit Ghana" on the front of Sunderland Football Club's shirts

Image by Premier League & Ghana Tourism Authority

Ghana is in advanced talks to put "Visit Ghana" on the front of Sunderland Football Club's shirts for the 2026/2027 Premier League season according to myjoyonline, Speaker of Parliament Alban Sumani Kingsford Bagbin announced the Ghana initiative at the 37th sitting of Parliament, describing a formal engagement with Sunderland that has progressed well beyond early contact, but stopped short of a signed agreement.

"We are entering a formal engagement with them to put Visit Ghana on their jerseys and all paraphernalia," Bagbin said. "We have gone far with the discussions, and therefore they usually showing interest."

Under the proposed arrangement, "Visit Ghana" branding would appear on the front of Sunderland's kit and associated club paraphernalia through the coming Premier League season, giving the campaign exposure via EPL broadcasts, digital platforms and international media. Value, duration and the exact branding terms have not been disclosed, and reporting on the talks describes them as ongoing rather than concluded. Ghana wouldn't be the first to take this approach to tourism. Last month, "Visit Rwanda" was confirmed as Aston Villa's official front-of-shirt partner on 14 July 2026, in a reported £20 million a year agreement covering the same season.

Bagbin was careful to separate the funding source from his own role in brokering the deal. "This is not being sponsored by parliament. In fact, the main sponsor is from the private sector. We are leading under my canopy to get this done," he said, adding that the Ghana Football Association, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, and the Ministry of Finance have all backed the project.

Rwanda's Aston Villa deal was already public more than two weeks before Bagbin's announcement to Parliament. Visit Rwanda becomes Villa's official front-of-shirt partner, exclusive tourism partner and official coffee provider, with branding across men's, women's and academy kits, replacing Betano as part of the Premier League's wider phase-out of betting sponsors from shirt fronts. It builds on a portfolio that already includes sleeve and kit deals with Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.

African tourism boards are increasingly taking this approach

If Ghana secures the Sunderland sponsorship, it will join a growing list of African tourism boards buying into the same marketing real estate in the same league. Uganda is reportedly in talks with Premier League clubs over a possible "Visit Uganda" jersey deal, and Ivory Coast struck a deal with Chelsea Football Club in March to expand its own sports tourism strategy. Four African tourism campaigns eyeing or already holding Premier League shirt space in a single season, says more about how the continent's tourism boards now view English football clubs as paid media channels.

The gap between the two deals is stark. Rwanda's is signed, priced at roughly £20 million a year, and multi-year. Ghana's is private sector funded, unconfirmed, and undisclosed on value, with Bagbin's own language, gone far with discussions, not signed, an agreement, leaving room between where talks stand and where they'd need to land. The GFA, sports ministry and finance ministry are all backing the project, even though they're not funding it, which points to government coordination that could matter if the deal needs regulatory sign-off.

What happens next depends on whether Ghana's backers can close terms before the season starts, and whether the eventual price tag gets anywhere near what Rwanda is paying for the same position at a different club.

Source: MyJoyOnline Ghana