Ghana’s biggest football viewing experience, The Mall Is TheStadium (TMITS), has partnered with The Esports AssociationGhana (EAG) in a strategic partnership which adds Esports as an additional dimension to the ongoing World Cup Match Viewing Campaign.
The partnership sees the launch of an exciting Football Simulation Game competition which includes an Open (male & female) and female-only tournaments. The inaugural competition is scheduled to run from July 6 to July 19, 2026, with a prize pool of GHs10,000, which will be split into prize packages for winners from both tournaments.
Powered by headline sponsor 1XBET, the competition is designed to unite football lovers and gamers through the world’s most popular football simulation game while creating an engaging fan experience across the six participating malls:Accra Mall, Junction Mall, West Hills Mall, Atlantic Mall, Marina Mall, and Achimota Mall.
The initiative seeks to bridge traditional football fandom with the rapidly growing Esports ecosystem, providing a platform for emerging gaming talent while enhancing the match-viewing experience for thousands of fans. This also marks the beginning of what TMITS and the Esports Association Ghana envision as a long-term partnership to increase digital literacy and engagement with digital creative arts through competitive gaming and Esports in Ghana.
A key part of the competition is dedicated to celebrating and empowering female gamers. The tournament seeks to increase women’s participation in competitive Esports while providing greater visibility for the growing community of female Esports athletes in Ghana. The organisers believe the women’s competition will become one of the defining highlights of the campaign, reinforcing their commitment to making Esports more inclusive and creating equal opportunities for talent to flourish.
Speaking on the partnership, Eli Daniel-Wilson, CEO of Jenius Mark, owners of The Mall Is The Stadium, said the collaboration represents a natural evolution of the campaign.
“Football today is experienced far beyond the ninety minutes on the pitch. Fans play it, stream it, compete in it, and build communities around it. Our partnership with the Esports Association Ghana allows us to bring those worlds together by giving gamers and football fans a shared platform to compete, connect, and celebrate The FIFA World Cup. This is only the beginning of what we believe will become a long-term movement.”
He added that the organisers are committed to creating experiences that make every mall a destination for football culture throughout the tournament. “The Mall Is The Stadium has always been about transforming public spaces into unforgettable football experiences. Introducing Esports into the campaign expands that vision and creates new opportunities for young people to showcase their talent.”
The President of the Esports Association Ghana, Kwesi Hayford, described the partnership as another significant milestone in mainstreaming Esports in Ghana.
“Football Simulation Gaming is one of the biggest entry points into Esports globally. By partnering with The Mall Is TheStadium, we are creating an accessible platform where Esports athletes can compete in professionally organised tournamentswhile introducing more Ghanaians to a structured Esports competition.”
Adding to these sentiments, Venus Tawiah, Director of Women’s Esports, continued: “Our vision extends beyond this tournament. We see this as the foundation for a sustainable partnership that will nurture talent and create competitive and employment pathways for both female and male eSport Athletes, with many of the digital literacy skills developed in Esports transferable to other industries. This will further position Ghana as one of Africa’s leading emerging Esports destinations.”
The organisers expect hundreds of gamers and football enthusiasts to participate across the various mall locations, making the competition one of the country’s largest football gaming activations during the FIFA World Cup season.
The Mall Is The Stadium continues to redefine the football fan experience by combining live match viewing, entertainment, fan engagement activities, and now competitive Esports into one immersive national celebration of the beautiful game.
