The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has sealed a five-year partnership with X1, a premium performance beverage brand, naming it the Official Performance Partner of the Black Stars and the Division One League Super Cup in an agreement that combines financial backing with direct product support across multiple levels of Ghana football.
The deal was formally unveiled at a ceremony at GFA headquarters in Accra on Friday, April 17, attended by members of the Executive Council and senior staff of the association.
Under the arrangement, X1 will provide both financial support and products annually over the five-year period, with resources directed at enhancing preparation, performance, logistics, and operational efficiency for the national team and domestic football structures.
GFA President Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku framed the deal as timely, arriving as Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America enter a critical phase.
“As Performance Partner of the Black Stars, X1 Energy will play a vital role in enhancing the preparation, performance and overall well-being of our senior national team. At a time when we are intensifying our efforts on the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, this support could not have come at a better moment,” he said.
Okraku also drew attention to X1’s commitment to domestic football, noting that the brand’s involvement in the Division One League Super Cup represents a direct investment in the clubs, players, and communities that form the backbone of the game in Ghana.
One of the more distinctive aspects of the agreement is that Black Stars players Gideon Mensah and Elisha Owusu will serve not just as brand ambassadors but as equity partners in X1, a structure that Richard Zhang, Global Lead of Hoshi International, described as reflecting genuine belief in African ownership and a commitment to nurturing talent while it is still developing, not only after it has arrived.
Zhang described the partnership as the start of a shared journey rooted in ambition and a long-term commitment to the growth of Ghanaian football, going beyond the conventions of a standard sponsorship arrangement.
X1 will gain prominent visibility across GFA competitions and events throughout the duration of the agreement.
