Standard Bank expects young talent in cup
Standard Bank chief executive Andrew Mashanda expects this year’s 2015 Standard Bank Knockout Trophy to unearth a wealth of new talent that can take domestic football to the next level.
Accompanied by the bank’s new head of marketing Thokozani Unyolo, Mashanda expressed the hope yesterday when hosting media practitioners for a breakfast at Sunbird Mount Soche in Blantyre.
“We believe this year the knockout will extend its flavour to reach out to younger footballers who aspire to make it big and offer them an opportunity to raise their profile, not only locally, but also on the continent,” Mashanda said, adding that they also expect more strides in the knockout trophy media competition.
Bankrolling the football competition, whose current holders are Silver Strikers, is among the bank’s corporate social responsibilities lined up for the year in core focus areas of health, education and sports.
The 2015 FAM calendar of events indicates that the Standard Bank Knockout Trophy, which engages fans through voting preliminary round teams, will kick-off on August 7 when the competition will be re-launched, paving the way for the start of voting.
Rodrick Gonani’s solitary strike earned Silver the cup last September at the expense of Azam Tigers.
The bank, which also hosts the Joy of Jazz music feast, also donated K23 million towards flood disaster victims.
Mashanda said the human story is never complete unless the media captures it through narratives, adding: “As a bank, we know you represent the conscience of our customers”.
