NBS Bank plc has increased its sponsorship for the Charity Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the country’s football season, from K60 million to K100 million, representing a 66.7 percent rise.
The bank’s head of marketing Frank Magombo made the announcement at a joint press conference with the Football Association of Malawi (FAM) in Lilongwe yesterday.
“We are proud to once again sponsor the Charity Shield, a flagship event on the football calendar that brings together communities for both sport and social impact,” he said.
Magombo said proceeds from this year’s match will support the Green Girls’ Boarding Initiative implemented in partnership with Plan International Malawi.
The project will be carried out at Emvuyeni Community Day Secondary School in Mzimba District and will benefit about 500 learners.
“It focuses on clean cooking solutions and renewable energy to create safer, more sustainable learning environments for girls,” said Magombo.
As the curtain-raiser to the new season, the match will see reigning TNM Super League champions Mighty Wanderers face their arch-rivals FCB Nyasa Bullets, winners of the Castel Challenge Cup and Airtel Top 8, at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on Saturday.
Magombo said the bank expects a big turnout, projecting gate revenue in excess of K100 million.
He said: “We look forward to an exciting match between FCB Nyasa Bullets and Mighty Wanderers, two teams with rich history and passionate supporters.
“This fixture continues to showcase the best of Malawian football while rallying support for a worthy cause.”
Magombo said tickets are available online and at designated outlets, but will not be sold on match day.
“We strongly encourage fans to buy in advance,” he said.
Standard tickets are priced at K10 000, VIP at K2 000 and corporate boxes at K300 000.
Meanwhile, FAM first vice-president Christopher Madalitso Kuyera hailed NBS Bank for increasing the sponsorship.
“We are excited. We never expected that the bank will give us all this money for this cause,” he said.
Kuyera said the five years of sponsorship demonstrate that the financial institution has “a human face and heart”.
“Charity Shield is not just about football. It is a vehicle for social transformation. It is transforming a lot of lives in the rural areas,” he said .
