Wanderers risk losing sponsor
Ekhaya Group of Companies have expressed doubt on extending Mighty Mukuru Wanderers’ sponsorship next season, saying they feel let down by how football is administered in the country.
The company’s owner Thomson Mpinganjira, who is also the club’s president and board chairperson, said this in an interview yesterday when asked about the future of the K410 million sponsorship which expires in two months.
Ekhaya are the Nomads’ biggest sponsor followed by international money transfer platform Mukuru, who pump in about K175 million annually.
Said the business mogul and philanthropist: “I never envisaged spending so much money in the first place. I am currently reviewing my options following the events of the season.
“There are serious administrative shortfalls in football administration in Malawi. A few powerful football lords sometimes heavily aligned to some clubs or against some clubs, horrible officiation, last-minute penalties or strangely disallowing goals. So, I am reviewing my options for now.”
He said the way the controversy surrounding their abandoned Airtel Top 8 quarter-final against Silver Strikers is one case which gave him a picture of how Malawi football is administered.
Said Mpinganjira: “It really opened my eyes on how our football is run and gave me plenty of food for thought. Football administration and officiation are all horror and you ask yourself, is it worth it to continue investing in football?
“Club sponsors spend a lot. In fact, competition sponsors spend just a fraction of what club sponsors invest and yet when things go wrong, they still expect club sponsors to bow down to them with a smile and say it is well in the interest of ‘fairplay’ and in the interest of the game.
“Football in Malawi will not go far. When our teams go outside, they struggle because most of our football is not decided on the fpitch. I will stop there.”
Football Association of Malawi general secretary Alfred Gunda and president Fleetwood Haiya could not be reached for comment yesterday while the Nomads acting chief executive officer Roosevelt Mpinganjira declined to comment
But the club’s main supporters committee chairperson Dinesi Chitsulo pleaded with Mpinganjira not to abandon the team.
He said: “While we understand his frustrations, on behalf of the Wanderers family I plead with him to continue sponsoring the team because without him, it will be a crisis.
“Wanderers are his team and everyone knows there are many challenges in our football administration, but with time things will get better. It would be unfortunate for the team to suffer because of other people’s sins.”
