SportPesa bet Sh225m on AFC Leopards shirt deal

AFC Leopards and sports betting firm SportPesa on Wednesday unveiled a Sh225 million five-year shirt sponsorship deal.

In the deal, Leopards will receive Sh45 million annually over a five-year period while SportPesa will have their name boldly emblazoned on the shirts of Ingwe.

The unveiling ended the uncertainty surrounding the club’s sponsorship. Leopards, under the Interim Management Committee had signed two separate parallel deals, one with betway and the other with SportPesa.

Club chairman, Mathew Opwora had entered into a three-year deal with betway, while co-chair, Dan Mule had signed another deal with SportPesa.

The situation forced Mule and his camp to lodge a complaint at the Sports Disputes Tribunal, seeking their guidance on the matter.

And after weeks of mediation by the tribunal chairman, John Ohaga, the two differing sides eventually settled for SportPesa. 

“As a result of our intervention, the sponsorship this club will enjoy improved by 50 percent,” Ohaga said. Opwora did not attend the meeting. Mule said that the club’s Interim Management Committee will strive to have a free and fair election.

Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa, who attended the ceremony, said: “I’ve personally run a club (Kariobangi Sharks) for 14 years and never had a shirt sponsor and what SportPesa is doing is breaking the ceiling. When everyone is running away, they are coming on board. What we now need is elections (at Leopards) so that we have one leadership.”

Without sponsors last season, Leopards went through tough financial times failing to challenge for honours. Big name players subsequently left in droves.

Club legend Joe Kadenge challenged the club’s leadership not to misuse the funds.