Ghanaian Sports Writer Berneese Represents Ghana on Coca-Cola World Cup Trophy Tour in Abidjan

In a significant showcase of Africa’s growing influence in global sports media, renowned Ghanaian sports content creator Berneese (Bernice Boakye Ansah) was selected to represent Ghana during the prestigious Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. This fully sponsored participation underscored both her personal brand’s power and the rising prominence of West African sports journalism on an international stage.

Introduction: A Creator on the Global Stage

The FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour is one of the most anticipated pre-tournament events in global football, offering a rare, up-close glimpse of sport’s most coveted prize. For the 2026 World Cup cycle, Coca-Cola, a long-standing FIFA partner, orchestrated a multi-country tour. The stop in Abidjan, a major West African hub, was strategically significant. It was here that Berneese, already a dominant voice in Ghanaian and African sports digital media, was chosen as a key representative. Her mission: to document the tour, engage fans, and bridge the global spectacle of the World Cup with the vibrant, passionate football culture of West Africa.

Key Points: The Abidjan Achievement

• Official Representation: Berneese was the designated Ghanaian sports writer/content creator for the Coca-Cola World Cup Trophy Tour event held in Abidjan.
• Comprehensive Coverage: She produced a multi-format content package including behind-the-scenes footage, daily vlogs, and live interactive sessions with fans.
• Record Engagement: A single post featuring her photograph with the actual FIFA World Cup Trophy garnered over 1.7 million views, becoming the top-performing social media content from the entire Ghanaian delegation.
• Platform Power: With a cross-platform following exceeding 4 million, her participation highlighted the shift towards creator-led sports journalism and fan engagement.
• Cultural Ambassadorship: Her coverage served to promote African football culture and narratives to a global audience, aligning with the “Africa for the World” theme of the tour.

Background: The Trophy Tour and the Rise of the Sports Creator

The Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour: A Legacy of Global Hype

Initiated ahead of the 2006 World Cup, the Trophy Tour is a marketing and engagement cornerstone for FIFA and its partners. The authentic trophy, crafted from 18-carat gold and weighing 6.1 kg, travels to dozens of countries, visiting iconic landmarks and engaging local communities. The tour’s goals are multi-fold: building global anticipation for the tournament, celebrating host nations and regions, and activating the sponsor’s brand through unforgettable experiences. The 2026 tour, spanning North America, included key African stops like Abidjan, acknowledging the continent’s immense football passion and commercial potential.

Berneese: From Ghanaian Stands to International Spotlight

Bernice Boakye Ansah, professionally known as Berneese, built her brand on a foundation of energetic match reactions, compelling football storytelling, and real-time interaction with a dedicated fanbase. Operating primarily on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, she carved a niche in covering the Ghana Premier League, the Black Stars (Ghana’s national team), and broader African football. Her style—personal, passionate, and highly accessible—resonated deeply with a young, digitally-native audience, allowing her to amass over 4 million followers. This established her as a leading figure in Ghana’s competitive sports media landscape and a natural choice for an international brand activation.

Analysis: The Impact and Implications of the Tour

Content Strategy and Virality Metrics

Berneese’s success during the tour was not accidental but a result of a deliberate content strategy:

• Exclusivity & Access: The “behind-the-scenes” clips and the trophy photo provided content that fans could not get elsewhere. The trophy itself is a symbol of ultimate achievement, and personal, authentic imagery with it carries immense emotional weight.
• Real-Time Engagement: Live interactions and daily vlogs created a sense of shared journey with her audience, fostering a community feeling around a global event.
• Cultural Context: By producing content from Abidjan, she framed the World Cup within a West African context, making the global tournament feel locally relevant.

The 1.7 million+ views on the trophy post demonstrate the potent combination of a globally recognized symbol (the trophy) with a trusted local creator (Berneese). This metric likely surpassed official posts from the Ghana Football Association or other traditional media delegates, signaling a shift in where and how audiences consume major sports moments.

Significance for Ghanaian and African Sports Media

Berneese’s role has several profound implications:

1. Validation of the Creator Economy: It proves that African sports creators can secure major international brand partnerships and deliver measurable ROI (Return on Investment) in terms of reach and engagement, challenging traditional media’s monopoly on such opportunities.
2. Narrative Control: Her coverage allowed for an African, and specifically Ghanaian, perspective to be injected into the global narrative of the World Cup, which is often dominated by European and South American media.
3. Inspiration for the Next Generation: Her journey from covering local leagues to holding the World Cup Trophy serves as a powerful blueprint for aspiring sports journalists and content creators across the continent, emphasizing digital skills and personal branding.
4. Showcasing Regional Unity: Representing Ghana in Ivory Coast, a football-loving neighbor, subtly highlighted West African football solidarity on a platform watched worldwide.

Brand Alignment: Coca-Cola’s Strategic Play

Coca-Cola’s selection of Berneese was a savvy move. It allowed the brand to:

• Tap into a massive, engaged, and youthful African demographic.
• Demonstrate commitment to local markets by empowering a local star rather than only using global ambassadors.
• Generate authentic, relatable content that feels less like corporate advertising and more like fan celebration, thereby increasing trust and effectiveness.

Practical Advice: Lessons for Aspiring Sports Creators

Berneese’s experience offers a roadmap for creators aiming for similar opportunities:

1. Build a Niche with Authentic Passion

Specialize deeply. Berneese focused on Ghanaian and African football, developing expert knowledge and a genuine, recognizable passion. Authenticity cannot be faked and is the primary currency for building a loyal following.

2. Master Multi-Platform Storytelling

Do not rely on a single platform. Berneese used Instagram for high-impact images, TikTok/TV for short-form energetic clips, and YouTube for long-form vlogs. Each piece of content was tailored to the platform’s strengths and audience behavior.

3. Prioritize Engagement Over Vanity Metrics

While follower count is important, brands increasingly value meaningful interactions—comments, shares, saves, live viewership. Berneese’s “live fan interactions” during the tour were a key value proposition, showing she could activate an audience, not just broadcast to them.

4. Understand the Brand and Event Ecosystem

To land a partnership with Coca-Cola for a FIFA event, one must understand both brands’ values—celebration, unity, refreshment—and the prestige of the trophy itself. Creators should study the event’s history, the sponsor’s campaign themes, and align their content pitch accordingly.

5. Maintain Professionalism and Reliability

Such opportunities are earned through a track record of delivering quality content on time, representing partners well, and being a dependable professional. Berneese’s “consistent content performance” was a prerequisite for this invitation.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour?

It is an official FIFA event, sponsored by Coca-Cola, where the authentic FIFA World Cup Trophy travels globally to build excitement for the upcoming tournament. Fans can see the trophy, participate in activities, and engage with the brand.

How was Berneese selected for the tour?

While specific selection criteria are internal to Coca-Cola and its agency partners, selections typically go to high-impact local creators with significant, engaged followings who can authentically represent both the brand and their local market. Berneese’s established reputation and social media metrics made her a prime candidate.

Is holding the real World Cup Trophy allowed?

Yes, but under strict supervision. The trophy is made of solid gold and is priceless. During tour events, it is handled only by authorized FIFA officials and specially accredited guests (like Berneese) in controlled environments, often with security present and gloves required.

What are the legal implications for the creator’s content?

Creators on such sponsored trips operate under a contractual agreement with the brand (Coca-Cola) and/or its agency. This agreement outlines content requirements (number of posts, platforms, key messages), approval processes, and intellectual property rights. The creator must comply with these terms and also adhere to the platform’s (e.g., Instagram, TikTok) advertising disclosure policies, typically using hashtags like #ad or #sponsored.

Does this opportunity have a long-term impact on her career?

Absolutely. It serves as a major portfolio piece, legitimizes her on an international scale, and opens doors to higher-tier partnerships with other global brands interested in the African market. It transitions her from a regional star to a globally recognized sports media personality.

Conclusion: Beyond the Trophy, a New Era

Berneese’s moment with the FIFA World Cup Trophy in Abidjan was more than a viral photo op. It was a symbolic passing of the torch in sports media. It represented the ascent of the African digital sports creator—someone who combines deep local knowledge with global connectivity, who engages directly with fans, and who can turn a single, powerful moment into a narrative that resonates across continents.

For Ghana, it was a point of pride, showcasing a homegrown talent succeeding on a world stage. For African football, it was a demonstration that its stories, told by its own people, can captivate a global audience. For the industry, it was a clear signal: the future of sports journalism is personal, digital, and borderless. Berneese didn’t just represent Ghana on the Trophy Tour; she helped redefine what representation looks like in the modern sports media ecosystem.