If you've watched any of the 2010 World Cup, you may have seen the banners advertising Yingli Solar on field level walls. Yingli Green Energy (NYSE:YGE), the parent company of Yingli Solar, has paid a considerable sum to be associated with the FIFA 2010 World Cup, currently underway in South Africa -- but they are not stopping with mere tournament sponsorship for their marketing and branding effort at the World Cup.

The Chinese solar manufacturer has announced it will provide solar power to 20 soccer training centers across Africa as part of its "Football for Hope. Energy for Hope" program.

Yingli will supply the centers with solar installations that could power field lighting, computers or study rooms in those centers. Of the 20 centers, five are being built in South Africa and 15 in other African countries including Kenya, Rwanda, Mali, Namibia and Ghana.

"The FIFA World Cup offers an ideal opportunity for Yingli Solar to be involved with Football for Hope and to support the '20 Centres for 2010' project with highly desired solar power," said Liansheng Miao, chairman and chief executive officer of Yingli Green Energy.

FIFA's head of corporate social responsibility, Federico Addiechi, said "We are extremely pleased that Yingli Solar is not only a sponsor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but also a strong supporter of the Football for Hope movement and, in particular, of '20 Centres for 2010' by offering its expertise in renewable energy."

Photo credit: babasteve via flickr