Guinness are not able to sponsor Ireland in the World  Cup for obvious reasons (they won't be playing -- thank you Thierry Henry),  but never mind, it has been announced  that they will be sponsors for Nigeria's Super Eagles for South Africa 2010. Nigeria is a huge market for the Dublin-based brewery.

The company's marketing director, Simon Breckon, made the announcement  in Lagos recently. "'We have always been in the forefront of sponsoring sports generally in Nigeria, with deliberate emphasis on football, which has always been the favorite of the consumers of our uniquely brewed Guinness Foreign Extra Stout that also has a great taste."

There will also be a special Guinness brew created for the games. "Today, for the first time ever, we are revealing a limited edition of Guinness label, which will feature colors of the Nigerian football team. This new and distinctive label has been created specially to show support for the Super Eagles and the belief that together we can unite in the power of the Nigerian spirit as we enter the next stage of both the African Cup of Nations and the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals.

"The bottles of the Guinness stout featuring the limited edition label will be on sale in bars across Nigeria from December. Another interesting thing to note here is that it is the limited edition label that would change in Guinness, but the price and the much loved and distinctive roasted bitter taste, dark color and special aroma of Guinness and the shape, size and design of the bottle will stay the same," continued Breckon.

Brekcon said the Guinness believes that  "11 men and 150 million Nigerians can always come together to believe in the Power Of the Nigerian spirit."