itel Mobile Responds To The Digital Whims Of South African Soccer Fan

As soccer players and fans gear up for another bumper season ahead of the Premier Soccer League (PSL) which kicks off on the 20th August, downloads of mobile soccer apps are set to peak and mobile brands will need to rise to the occasion.

itel, the global leading and third best-selling smartphone in Africa, is an avid supporter of sports and has recognised the importance of keeping its latest devices affordable for easy-access purposes, to ensure that consumers are able to enjoy apps favored by the world’s best players such as the FIFA Football video games series – a leading favourite, for both players and fans.

Says Wavelet Wu, General Manager of itel: “We believe that by providing consumers with quality mobile communication, product and reliable service, we can allow more people to get connected with the world in an efficient way.”

Some professional players turn to social media to market themselves and engage with their fans. While others like Wayne Rooney, have launched their own apps, either to help aspiring players or enthusiasts. Either way, their fans are bound to follow.

“We are making inroads to connect itel with the local consumers, understand their needs as well as their expectations of brands. It is no secret that South Africans love their soccer and we want to make sure that they always have easy and ample access to soccer action wherever they are,” continues Wu.

Speaking to itel, a couple of local stars shared their preferred apps which keep them connected to the pitch. 

Thabo Nodada, a Bafana Bafana and Cape Town City midfielder who made his international debut in 2020, told us that he likes to turn to Soccer Laduma for his local soccer news. 

However, when it comes to international football, he prefers Goal.com which updates on transfers, news, tables, leagues and cups. 

Says Nodada: “I also like to watch current highlights on YouTube, they have some great drills which can help a lot with your technique. There are clear explanations, so you can watch the videos and then imitate what you’ve seen.”

Like Nodada, former Zimbabwe captain and Bush Bucks legend William Mugeyi, who scored twice in the final to win the Cosafa Cup in 2000, is a big fan of Goal.com. 

“I like Goal.com because it’s very updated, every hour there is something new. You get all the news from the big leagues in England and Spain,” he says.  

BBC Sport is another favourite of Mugeyi, providing up-to-the-minute soccer news.    

Mugeyi is the manager of BCM Stars, an affiliate and feeder for PSL side Chippa United which reached the final of the 2020/21 Nedbank Cup. His role as a coach makes it important that up-and-coming players are kept abreast of the latest developments in the game, and mobile technology is a big help in this regard. 

“The game is always changing in modern football, so it’s important for them to follow updates and changes in tactical aspects. They like to follow training videos available on the apps overseas, and I encourage that.”

Clubs investing in their own digital apps is also a growing trend with the Kaizer Chiefs app boasting tens of thousands of users. An app for another leading Soweto club, Orlando Pirates, has also garnered rave reviews from fans who love the fact they can connect directly with the team.

Unsurprisingly, the official PSL app has a huge following, providing a complete overview of the latest happenings in South African soccer.  It has more than 50,000 installations. 

 “With the growing shift towards digital content, storage capacity is more important to the broader South African mobile users now than ever before, this is why we have recently launched the Vision1 Pro smartphone in South Africa, which is powered by AndroidTM 10 Go, with a 32GB storage memory and 2GB RAM.  

“The 6.5 inches, high definition, waterdrop fullscreen display is also designed to optimise the user viewing experience. The needs of consumers are consistently changing and brands need to evolve with them to grow the market,” concludes Wu.

Share
Scroll to Top