Wenslus Murape
Tadious Manyepo, Sports Reporter
JADEL Football Academy, through their CIKERS brand, have made significant strides in kitting the local football market this year.
After supplying and sponsoring top-flight sides CAPS United and Chegutu Pirates as well as Mabvuku-based Division 2 club Ali Sundowns, JFA have made even more progress.
They have sealed deals with Bikita Minerals and Northern Region Soccer League title contenders Scottland who unveiled the kit in a colourful ceremony in Harare a fortnight ago.
And more local teams have been awe struck by the brand with over 10 clubs across the top-flight and first division already in talks with JFA.
Company director Walter Musanhu who attended the Scottland unveiling event said more was still to come.
His institution is the only authorised Africa distributer of CG brands which are made by a top Chinese company Beta Tech Limited having been okayed in January 2019.
Musanhu himself, a former Motor Action and Young Warriors player who now runs JFA in China, does the designs.
“I am glad we are starting to penetrate the Zimbabwean market.
“We were authorised to distribute CG brands back in 2019 but those were bad years for the world as Covid-19 then hit us.
“Nonetheless, we decided to soldier on and we were sponsoring my former schools Harare High and Prince Edward,” said Musanhu.
“With things easing up in terms of the pandemic, we then started to sponsor CAPS United and Ali Sundowns.
“CAPS United got interested and we struck a deal for us to start supplying their kits. Then Sundowns, Bikita Minerals and Scottland…
“We are very proud to be supplying all these brands which are also well managed in a very professional manner.
“I can tell you that we are in talks with more than 10 clubs in Zimbabwe who we could start supplying before the end of the year or next season.
“Our vision is to see every footballing team in the country kitted in our brand. It’s looking promising indeed.”
Musanhu said JFA have also started looking into the continental market.
“As an organisation, we have also started exploring possibilities in Africa.
“We are talking to clubs across the continent who we may start supplying in the not-so-distant future.
“We are doing all we can to come up with appealing designs and also implementing latest technologies,” added Musanhu.
“At the end of the day, what we want to see is us leading the line in terms of kit supplies across Africa.
“Zimbabweans are supporting us and we are happy with their backing.”
JFA are also leading in developing grassroots football with academies planted all over the world with Beijing, China where Musanhu is based the epicentre.
Online Reporter