Shikanda: 'Ingwe' must sharpen claws to survive
President Uhuru Kenyatta (left) shakes hands with AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda during a breakfast meeting at State House, Nairobi on March 9, 2020.
What you need to know:
We must come up with a concrete strategy of sustaining self-sponsored clubs like AFC Leopards
Expectations are very high and with no steady source of income it is not a child play
I have activated key committees such as marketing and resource mobilisation to start hitting the ground hard after Covid-19 is contained
At 56 years old, AFC Leopards is one of Kenya’s top and oldest football clubs, but it has nothing to show in its den apart from two club buses. Dan Shikanda is the man occupying the hot seat of club chairman of the 13-time Kenyan Premier League champions. He spoke to our writer Francis Mureithi on his dreams, desire, challenges and plans to transform the club once Covid-19 is contained.
Q. How is AFC Leopards coping up with Covid-19?
A. It’s tough. The lockdown has affected our training. Everything has come to a standstill. The technical team is monitoring players online. We are facing very tough financial time just like any business that has been hit hard by this pandemic.
Q. The government has doled out a stimulus package to cushion vulnerable Kenyan Premier League players with a Sh30,000 bail out for the next three months. Your take?
A. This is a good initiative by the government to support football. This is the first government that has done that. We’re happy with the Minister of Sports, Amina Mohamed, for directly taking charge to ensure the welfare of players is taken care of during this crisis.
Q. How complicated is it to run a high profile club like AFC Leopards during covid-19 pandemic?
A. It is very complicated. There is a lot of uncertainty.
Leadership turmoil, illegal declaration of the league champions, the expiry of KPL and FKF contracts and lack of league sponsors is like walking on top of an underground explosive without knowing.
Nobody knows how long this crisis will hang on our heads and this makes proper planning almost impossible.
No sponsors will put their money in such a volatile environment.
Q. What are some of the lessons you have learnt from this pandemic?
A. We must be prepared for any eventuality. When matches were suspended we thought it was for a short time and when it extended past two months, our small income from gate collection could not sustain us.
Q. How do you think this problem could be addressed?
A. We must come up with a concrete strategy of sustaining self-sponsored clubs like AFC Leopards.
The few well-wishers going extra mile to support us have also been affected by this deadly virus and it gives us time to think of a long term solution if hope to survive post-Covid-19.
Q. You’re occupying the hot seat of a club with the most demanding fans. Is it easy to manage Ingwe?
A. Expectations are very high and with no steady source of income it is not a child play. Fans want good results and believe the chairman has the magic to turn around financial fortunes of the club
When I was elected, the sponsor left behind a wage bill of Sh5.3million.
It was not easy to clear the debt.
Q. What is the best solution to ensure the club remains afloat?
A. The club need better planning strategies, comprehensive budget and revenue streams to run the club the entire season.
I have activated key committees such as marketing and resource mobilisation to start hitting the ground hard after Covid-19 is contained.
Q. What would be your honest opinion on the management of Kenyan Premier League by KPL?
A. I would give it 60 percent. However, wars between KPL and Football Kenya Federation (FKF) are unnecessary and are hurting the development of the sport.
FKF should stop interfering with the running of the league and let KPL do its work. No sponsor would agree to come on board in an organisation dominated by wrangles.
Q. FKF has declared Gor Mahia the league champions. Was that a well thought of decision?
A. That was unwise decision.
It was not fair play.
You can’t task a body like KPL to run a league on your behalf and then come abruptly and declare one of the club winners without consulting key stakeholders.
Clubs play for prize money and to write history by winning trophies.
Playing a league and you have nothing to show in your cabinet is futile.
It means FKF was not in tandem with what was happening in this country.
Q. You run on a ticket to establish some infrastructure facilities in the club, what is the progress so far?
A. The plans are still on course and I must do that before my term expires because that is a legacy I want to leave.
My desire is to make sure AFC Leopards becomes the first self-sponsored club in Kenya to have its own club house.
Q. What does it mean to a club like AFC Leopards not to have its own stadium?
A. I spend Sh7,000 per day to hire a training ground. This is a lot of money in a month yet our players are lacking many basic requirements to compete effectively in the domestic and continental matches. That is serous disservice to the club.
Q. What are some of the achievements you have introduced to the club so far?
A. When I came in last year the club was battling relegation.
I assembled a team that rekindles its hope of recapturing the crown.
I brought a state-of-the-art bus, the club is well organised with good governance structures and a strategic plan to address problems such as debts, living from hand to mouth, physical infrastructure, technology, investment and marketing among others.
Q. Does selling club merchandise boost the club kitty?
A. It is sad the merchandise helps individuals who bring the replica from China and that is why we want to deal with a serious partner who will grow with the club.
Q. You recently visited State House. How fruitful were the discussions you had with President Uhuru Kenyatta?
A. We went to the President crying about not accessing Nyayo Stadium but he challenged us that clubs like Ingwe in other parts of the world have their own club houses and we should be thinking of owning our own ground.
That was a big wake-up call and if one day AFC Leopards build its own club house we will owe it to the challenge thrown by the President.
We’re working round the clock to realise that dream.
We thank the Head of State for being bold instead of baby-sitting us that he would open Nyayo Stadium for us.
Q. Which decision have you made without any regrets?
A. The move to recruit five key players — John Makwata, Senaji, Washington Munene, Paul Were, Collins Shichenje at the last minute was tough.
I had promised our fans we shall bounce back to winning ways.
The decision slightly disrupted our budget but it was key to the team survival.
Q. At the back of your mind what worries you apart from lack of sponsors?
A. I’m worried with the attitude of key stakeholders. Corporates which look at football as corporate social responsibility instead of looking at it as a profession and invest to get good return worries me.
Lack of government investment in football particularly public sporting infrastructure like stadiums, fans who don’t embrace technology and want to buy tickets manually at the gates and the wrangles between KPL and FKF worries me also.
Q. Your happiest moment as chairman?
A. The challenge we were given by President Uhuru Kenyatta to build our own stadium instead of relying on Nyayo Stadium was my happiest moment as it opened my thinking as the club leader and I have never turned back.
Q. Your lowest moment?
A. Losing to Gor Mahia 4-1 before President Uhuru Kenyatta whom we had invited after paying him a courtesy call at State House was a bad feeling. We played so well in the first half and we didn’t deserve to lose that game by that margin before our special guest. It was not a true reflection on the pitch.
Q. How would you like to be remembered when the history of the club is finally written?
A. For more than five decades the club has never had physical infrastructure and if it gets one during my tenure that would be my sweetest legacy at Ingwe den.
