THE action will be described in a rarely heard language from the commentary positions at a North-East Premier League football ground on Sunday.

Sunderland’s New Year’s Day home fixture against league leaders Manchester City will be the first live commentary of 2012 for the BBC Swahili flagship football programme, Ulimwengu wa Soka.

It is the first time the BBC Swahili weekend football show will have been broadcast from the Stadium of Light.

A team of producers and presenters on Ulimwengu wa Soka bring football news and live Premier League commentary to Swahili-speaking fans across central, eastern and southern Africa, every weekend.

Commentaters Charles Hilary and Salim Kikeke are household names in East Africa, having also covered both the Africa Cup of Nations and the World Cup.

BBC Swahili reporters across the listenership area, in Zanzibar, Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam, go out to join listeners who enjoy watching live television footage of the matches, while following the BBC Swahili radio commentary.

The combination of the tv coverage alongside the Swahili commentaries has become the norm since 2004 when the BBC first began covering live matches using the Swahili service.

Fans also use SMS and the BBC Swahili Facebook to share their thoughts and emotions as they follow their favoured Premier League teams.

Although top clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester City are the best known English teams among African fans, there is a growing awareness of Sunderland across the continent.

The Black Cats featured four African players in the second half of last season, including the trio of Ghanaian World Cup stars, Asamoah Gyan, John Mensah and Sulley Muntari, although only Stephane Sessignon, from Benin, remains in the latest Sunderland line-up.

David Stead, sports editor for BBC Global News Languages, said: "Asamoah Gyan’s victory in the BBC African Footballer of the Year award last year really put Sunderland on the map for audiences in Africa.

"With Manchester City riding so high this season, listeners to BBC Swahili should really enjoy listening to this commentary in their own language."

Former Sunderland player and chairman Niall Quinn, who now oversees international development for the club, said: "We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome the BBC World Service commentary team to the Stadium of Light.

"Sunderland has traditionally enjoyed a huge support locally and we’re now building on that core following as we look to grow and develop on an international stage.

"The Barclays Premier League is watched and enjoyed by hundreds of millions of fans around the world and for our football club to be recognised and supported across Africa is a huge honour."

· Sunday’s match kicks-off at 3pm and is being broadcast live on Sky Sports tv.