Betting firms SportPesa betway chase AFC Leopards shirt deal

AFC Leopards fans during a past match. PHOTO | FILE |

What you need to know:

  • Daily Nation Sport has reliably learnt that online betting firm, betway had agreed a deal with Ingwe and the unveiling of the partnership was imminent.
  • Club co-treasurer, Asava Kadima also confirmed that the Big Cats have been in talks with the two firms.

Two leading betting firms are fighting to clinch the shirt sponsoring rights of Kenyan Premier League giants AFC Leopards.

Daily Nation Sport has reliably learnt that online betting firm, betway had agreed a deal with Ingwe and the unveiling of the partnership was imminent.

However, SportPesa, who are also the title sponsors of the Kenyan Premier League, have also sounded out AFC Leopards to be their shirt sponsors.

The entry of SportPesa has left Leopards officials with a difficult choice to make on which firm to settle for even as they desperately crave for the much needed finances that will come with such a deal.

The partnership between Ingwe and betway is to run for three years to a tune of Sh25 million annually but SportPesa has ambushed their competitor by dangling a sweeter deal.

According to sources within the club, SportPesa wants to pump in Sh30 million annually in a five-year arrangement.

Leopards co-chairman Mathews Opwora said: “To say the truth, my co-chairman Dan Mule has been in contact with SportPesa guys.

“We’ve also been negotiating with a different sports betting firm and I think when SportPesa saw betway coming, they decided to also knock on our doors.”

“SportPesa have a lot of conditions which they want us to fulfil. Some of them are not acceptable to us,” he said. “The other firm has very good things for us. We met with their director yesterday (Tuesday).

Club co-treasurer, Asava Kadima also confirmed that the Big Cats have been in talks with the two firms.

“Negotiations have been going on with different sponsors but in confidence. The board met yesterday and got briefed on the SportPesa thing. We will, as a committee, make decision on where to go,” he said.

“For the chairman to say that it’s an individual who has been driving the SportPesa agenda will be wrong. The board met yesterday(Tuesday) over the SportPesa thing and I was in attendance, Mule Dan (co-chair) was in attendance, Opwora was in attendance and whatever is done has to be done to the benefit of the club and collectively.”