Accra, Jan. 28, GNA - Scancom Ghana Limited, a leading company in the cellular phone business in Ghana, Spacefon Areeba, will at the beginning of March 2005, take over Accra Hearts of Oak as the official sponsors of the 2004 Confederation Cup champions.

The deal worth 1.5 billion cedis will be spread across the year, whilst other incentives have also been included in the package to take care of outstanding performances of the club both on the local and the international scenes.

The agreement follows a five-year sponsorship deal signed on Thursday between the two bodies at a ceremony in Accra.

Scancom Limited therefore takes over from La Bianca, a canned tomato paste producing company who were the sole sponsors of the club in the 2004 soccer season.

Hearts during the ceremony were handed a cheque for 500 million cedis as the first instalment of the package.

Mr Fouad Chalabi, Commercial Director of Scancom Limited commended Hearts for putting Ghana soccer at the very top, where he said the club really belongs.

"We have been witnesses to the wonderful exploits of your club over the past years, hence our decision to associate ourselves with you" Mr Chalabi stated.

He said that, "It is a well-recognised fact that a well resourced and strong domestic side translates itself into a strong national side". The Commercial Director said in investing money into sports, corporate bodies would expect that other stakeholders would play their parts to ensure that the desired results are achieved and called on other corporate bodies to emulate their gesture.