The Macron the Hero will be in action in the final stages of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations. The distinctive logo that characterises the Italian brand will stand out on the new shirts of the Equatorial Guinea national team with whom Macron has forged a four-year agreement technical sponsorship. Alongside the announcement of the partnership, the following were also presented: new jumpers that the Nzalang Nacional (National Lightning Team) will wear during the competition, which is scheduled to take place from 13 January to 11 February in the Ivory Coast.

“The partnership with Equatorial Guinea is a very important one for us – he declared Francesco Ventura, Area Manager at Macron – which demonstrates our commitment to supporting rapidly growing clubs and federations around the world. Thanks to this agreement, the players and staff of the Equatorial Guinea national team will have access to top-quality kit for the upcoming 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, and fans will be able to easily purchase merchandise both in-store and online. Investing in football and our passion for the sport has always been part of our DNA, and we are proud to be working alongside Feguifut to build a path to growth that is full of success and satisfaction.”.

The Equatorial Guinea national team is making its fourth appearance in the finals of the Africa Cup of Nations, with fourth place in 2015 being their best result to date. In this 34th edition, the Nzalang Nacional have been drawn in Group A alongside hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau. Their opening match against Nigeria, scheduled for 14 January at the Alassane Ouattara Olympic Stadium, will coincide with the debut of the new match kits that Macron has designed for the African national team.

The shirts Home, Away and Third of the Equatorial Guinea for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations They are, respectively, red with white and green detailing, white with light blue detailing, and light blue with white detailing. The Away and Third kits also feature a gradient stripe down the centre in the red-white-green tricolour of the Equatorial Guinea flag. The graphic theme common to all three kits is that of the lightning bolt, reflecting the African side’s nickname, Nzalang Nacional (National Lightning). The lightning bolt symbol, printed using tone-on-tone sublimation, is repeated in various sizes and shades across all three shirts, as is the “NZALANG NACIONAL” lettering on the outer back of the neck. The inner back neck, meanwhile, is personalised with the logo of the Equatorial Guinea Football Federation (FEGUIFUT), the Macron logo and the words ‘Designed in Bologna’, certifying and highlighting that each garment is conceived, designed and developed at the Italian brand’s headquarters.

All the jumpers, together with the exclusivity of their bespoke design, convey a clear message of sustainability and respect for the environment, as they are made from Eco Fabric, a 100% polyester fabric made from recycled plastic. It is estimated that, for the production of each individual jumper, the equivalent of around 13 0.5-litre plastic bottles is recycled and then reused.

All the products manufactured by Macron for the Equatorial Guinea national football team will soon be available to buy on the website macron.com.