FKF 'won't make money' from Mafro replica sales

Football Kenya Federation will not pocket any proceeds realised from the sale of replicas of the newly launched national football teams’ kits.

Mafro, the Singapore-based kit makers who signed a three-year partnership worth Sh75 million with FKF on Monday, will solely handle the commercial aspects involving distribution and sale of the replicas through Sports Concept Limited who are their commercial agents in the East African region.

Mafro, through Sports Concept, will also do the marketing, promotion and activation of the jerseys themselves, unlike in other parts of the continent where marketing and sale of replicas is usually left to the federation.

“This deal was signed in the anticipation that Mafro will make some money from sale of replicas, and so the Sh15 million paid to the federation is like an advance on the sales expected to be made. So basically Mafro have not given away their rights to sell,” Sports Connect Marketing Director Francis Mutuku told Nation Sport.

“We had the option of leaving the commercial aspect to the federation, but that would mean that they (FKF) would need to market and manage the sales, which is something that federations are not good at. It is not their core business.

“FKF will therefore just continue receiving the Sh5 million a year from Mafro and if they find that jersey sales are making more than that then they can negotiate for a better deal at the end of the contract.”

The deal between Mafro and the Kenyan federation was signed on Monday afternoon, and the design and colours of the kit drew mixed and immediate reactions from Harambee Stars supporters.

Out of the Sh75 million, FKF will pocket Sh15million (Sh5million a year), while the rest will go into the actual production and shipping of the kits.

This is the first time that FKF is entering into a partnership with a kit maker since April 2015, when a two-year kitting deal for the Under-17, U-20, U-23 and the senior team was finalised with Joma under then president Sam Nyamweya.

The senior men’s team is expected to don the new kit next month in a friendly match against Angola, and this will be fifth brand used by the national team in the last ten years.

During Mohammed Hatimy’s reign a decade ago, Stars used Masita (from Ireland) and a brand of Adidas that was soon discovered to be fake.

In the era of former FKF president Sam Nyamyweya, Stars donned the Kelme kit (from Spain) before ditching it for Joma made by Italian sports apparel manufacturers.

FKF said their primary assignment at the moment is to ensure that they establish a sense of identity and ownership within local football fans, as is the practice around the globe.

France, for instance, have engaged just three kit manufactures since 1966 (Le Coq Sportif, Adidas and Nike), while England have had their national team kits supplied by only four companies since 1954 (Umbro, Bukta, Admiral and Nike).