Rwanda and Germany’s top football club, FC Bayern Munich, have signed a deal to boost local football and tourism, but critics have dismissed it as an attempt to “sportswash” the East African nation’s poor human rights record.
The “Visit Rwanda” logo will be displayed at the German team’s 75,000-seater stadium on match days, as part of the five-year deal made for an undisclosed fee.
And in Rwanda, up to 30 talented children will benefit from a new FC Bayern youth academy, the government says.
This deal is also a chance for Germany’s top team to “become active on the African continent and gather important experiences”, says its chief executive, Jan-Christian Dreesen.
Kigali has similar sponsorship deals with Arsenal and Paris St-Germain, yet Rwandan football teams have so far struggled at regional and continental levels.
Critics say such deals are a waste of important resources on rich European clubs while many Rwandans live in poverty.
