Reggae Girlz striker Khadija "Bunny" Shaw
KFC has taken their partnership with Khadija “Bunny” Shaw to a whole new level, spicing up their collaboration for even greater impact.
The quick service food giant launched an exciting new ‘KFC Big Deal’ campaign earlier this week featuring the country’s all-time top goalscorer, on the eve of the start of the FIFA Women’s World Cup which will feature Shaw and Reggae Girlz making their historic second-consecutive appearance.
According ROJ Brand Manager Andrei Roper, this project symbolises phase two of KFC Jamaica’s brand partnership with Shaw.
“As we dive into phase two of our incredible partnership with Khadija “Bunny” Shaw with our new ‘Big Deal’ campaign, we’re filled with immense pride and excitement. From the first moment we signed her as an ambassador before the FIFA Men’s World Cup last November, we knew we had on our team, a true champion who perfectly aligns with the spirit of KFC. We are glad to embark on this new chapter with Shaw as we stand by her and the inspiring Reggae Girlz, united in the pursuit of greatness on the world stage,” Roper said.
Shaw also expressed delight with the extended partnership.
“The brand partnership has been great! Being part of KFC’s team has been really fun and it’s amazing to see a brand like KFC invest and support women’s football in Jamaica. I’m grateful for their support so far and I’m looking forward to seeing us continue to grow and develop together. It has already been a journey filled with a shared passion for women’s football in Jamaica and the next phase is a big opportunity to support and grow the game in our country. We’re seeing the game grow globally and Jamaica has a key role to play on and off the pitch.”
The campaign will be in full effect just in time for the FIFA Women’s World Cup and running throughout the entirety of the Women’s World Cup, as Shaw attracts the support and attention of many in this year’s tournament.
KFC is also proud to recognise her outstanding achievements over the past year - competing in 22 matches in the Women’s Super League (WSL) with Manchester City, scoring 20 goals with 7 assists, while collecting numerous accolades including her club’s Player of the Season, multiple WSL Player of the Month trophies, and the CONCACAF Women’s Player of the Year award.
Shaw says the team is looking forward to representing Jamaica on the biggest stage.
“It’s a huge moment for us, to represent our country, to play for our families and represent ourselves on such a huge stage is an exciting moment for all of us. We will make sure to do our best on the pitch, but we’re also going to need everyone’s support back home,” she asserted.
KFC recently expanded their commitment to women’s football through their $7 Million sponsorship of the Reggae Girlz last month. As main broadcast sponsors of the Women’s World Cup in the country, KFC has promised Jamaicans extensive coverage of the competition on a free to air station.
Shaw reveals how advice from former Man City stalwarts Bronze, Sterling assisted her to settle at the club
After struggling to find her footing when she just arrived at Manchester City, Jamaica international Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, revealed that it was the advice of Lucy Bronze and Raheem Sterling, coupled with hard work, that assisted in her now being the club's record goalscorer.
Since her transfer from Bordeaux in 2021, Shaw has cemented her status as one of the game’s most clinical strikers during her spell with Gareth Taylor's side so far. In the process, she smashed a number of records, including most goals scored by a Manchester City women’s player in a single season -31 in the 2022-23 campaign -before becoming the club's all-time leading goalscorer with 72 goals overall.
However, she wasn't always confident that she would have accomplished those feats, as she pointed out how guidance from former Manchester City pair Bronze and Sterling put her on the path to history in sky blue, after a difficult early period at the Joie Stadium.
“When I came here initially, I was struggling a bit,” Shaw revealed on The Women's Game Podcast with Sam Mewis.
“One day I was coming in from training and Lucy [Bronze] was coming in as well and she asked, ‘are you okay?’ and I said ‘I just can’t get the way they play, I can’t get it right’. City play a specific type of way and I was saying when we were walking in from training ‘I cannot get this right’. I didn’t know if here was for me.
“She started laughing and she was like ‘you focus on what got you here, the bits you do well that got you here, there’s something they saw in you that got you here’. At that moment I was like ‘wow’. I then called Raheem [Sterling] and I said the same thing to him. He was just laughing and said, ‘when I came from Liverpool I struggled a bit, they play a certain way so trust the process, believe in what you’re doing and believe in yourself’," she added.
From there, the 26-year-old Shaw said she continued to put in the work, both on and off the field until her performances came together.
“I put the comments from both Lucy and Raheem together and it made sense. I told myself to continue working and watching the videos, see how I could improve my game and seeing how best I can help the team. By doing that, it helped a little better day-by-day. Couple of weeks later I called Raheem and said, ‘it’s working!’ He was laughing and said, ‘I told you, you’ve just got to believe in yourself and do all the right things and focus on you first and foremost before you can focus on anything else’," Shaw shared.
Although her 2023/24 campaign was cut short due to a broken foot, Shaw will finish the campaign with 22 goals and five assists. And she credits her sparkling City success to her dedication on the City Football Academy training pitch.
“I just kept at it and believing in myself. The confidence comes from scoring goals and as the games come, I’m thriving," she ended.
Girona 4-2 Barcelona: Hosts secure Champions League football while ending Blaugrana's title hopes
Girona beat Barcelona 4-2 to secure Champions League qualification and gift Real Madrid their 36th LaLiga title.
Madrid, who have lost only once in the league this season, hold a 13-point advantage over second-placed Girona, while Barca dropped to third after Saturday's loss.
The victory saw Girona seal European football for the first time in their history.
A brace from substitute Portu helped LaLiga's surprise package Girona to humble their Catalan rivals.
Andreas Christiansen scored in the third minute to give Barca the lead but Girona hit back a minute later, with LaLiga's top scorer Artem Dovbyk heading in the equaliser.
Robert Lewandowski put the visitors back ahead from the penalty spot just before the break.
However, in his first action after coming off the bench, Portu restored parity before Miguel Gutierrez scored from a rebound two minutes later to turn the match on its head.
And that paved the way for a stunning volley from Portu in the 74th minute to secure the win.
Real Madrid's LaLiga joy must be 'contained' ahead of Bayern meeting
Carlo Ancelotti knows Real Madrid's LaLiga title celebrations must be "contained" as they prepare to take on Bayern Munich.
Madrid were crowned LaLiga champions for a record-extending 36th time on Saturday, after Barcelona lost 4-2 to Girona.
The Blaugrana's defeat followed on from Madrid beating Cadiz 3-0 at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Brahim Diaz, Jude Bellingham and Joselu were on target for Los Blancos, whose coach Ancelotti knows restraint is needed in his team's celebrations, with the Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern coming up on Wednesday.
"It's obviously a contained joy, because the most important game of the season is also very close, but we have to be happy," Ancelotti told Movistar Plus+ before the Barca game had been played.
"These games are difficult to prepare for, because you have Wednesday on your mind. But so far it's been spectacular, our team was steady, with hardly any mistakes. The advantage we have is well deserved.
"A big part [of Madrid's success] was achieved when we started to defend better, with a collective commitment.
"The effort put by the players up front was great, but the injuries early in the season helped us to realise that it wasn't about individuals but putting on a collective effort, and we did great."
Speaking to reporters in the mixed zone, Ancelotti said: "We are very good. It is the seventh victory in a row in the League, a spectacular one as a whole.
"We are very close to winning it and I think we are going to do it with merit.
"It is a celebration taking into account what has to happen on Wednesday. We are all happy with the match, but let's think about Bayern."
Thibaut Courtois, meanwhile, returned from his long injury lay-off to feature for the first time this season.
Ancelotti added: "Thibaut is a very important piece for this team, although [Andriy] Lunin has had a spectacular season and that is a lot of credit to Andriy. But Courtois has returned very well and was decisive. He is doing very well."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
