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Tadious Manyepo-Sports Reporter
THE country’s biggest two football clubs, Dynamos and Highlanders, have secured their funding, for the next three years, after agreeing a US$5.3 million deal, with energy giants Sakunda Holdings.
The company will now come in as their flagship sponsors.
The landmark sponsorship deal, set to be unveiled in Harare tomorrow, could not have come at a better time, for the two football giants.
DeMbare and Bosso have found themselves, being pushed, into the shadows of clubs like FC Platinum, Ngezi Platinum and Chicken Inn, who have better corporate partners, in recent years.
The deal with Sakunda Holdings is set to breathe life into the two clubs, who have the biggest support base, in the country, and have won the most number of league championships.
The Glamour Boys are the country’s biggest, and most successful, football club while Bosso are the oldest club and trail only their Harare rivals, in terms of league titles won.
The full package include money, which has been set aside, as an incentive, for the two giants, to try and win the league championship.
In the event they also qualify for the CAF Champions League, they will be getting a further injection of funds, from the sponsors, who have placed a value to see them rub shoulders, with some of Africa’s biggest clubs.
There will be funds which will also be set aside, for bringing in new faces, into the two clubs while some funds will be allocated for the cost of running the two giants.
The sponsorship deal was sealed, after marathon talks over the past few weeks.
Sakunda Holdings agreed to support the giants, at a time the two clubs have been struggling to rediscover the touch, which helped them dominate the local football scene, in the past.
Dynamos last won the league title in 2014 and even fought relegation, four years later, before a late show, in the last three games, secured their survival.
It has been worse for Bosso, who haven’t tasted league success, since Methembe Ndlovu delivered their last league title, in 2006.
“Everything is now in place, for the unveiling ceremony, which will take place at a Harare hotel on Tuesday (tomorrow),’’ sources told The Herald yesterday.
‘’Dynamos and Highlanders have secured sponsorship deals, worth quite a substantial amount per season, for three years.
‘’This development will see Sakunda becoming the principal sponsors of these two giants.’’
Each club will get about U$$$980 000 per season for three years.
As part of the package, they will get about US$60 000 for signing-on fees, per season, for three years.
It’s an area where the two clubs have been coming short as they could not land their targets because they usually didn’t have the financial backing to entice new recruitsinto their camp.
The two will also get a similar amount, per season, for operational costs.
They will get a bonus of about US$200 000, in the event they win the league championship, and a similar amount to help them venture into their Champions League commitments.
Highlanders have been losing some of their key players, including goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda and midfielder Nqobizitha Masuku, who decided to look elsewhere, to cushion themselves, in terms of earnings, from playing football.
They also lost their British coach, Mark Harrison, after the benefactors, who were paying his salary in foreign currency, withdrew their pledge, when their businesses were affected, by the Covid-19 pandemic.
NetOne, who used to bankroll Bosso, also withdrew, in the face of the pandemic, last year.
Before venturing into sport, Sakunda Holdings have been involved in philanthropic work in other sectors, including agriculture, energy, infrastructure and health.
The company opened their Arundel Hospital, to cater for Covid-19 patients, while also playing a part in enduring food decurity, through the Command Agriculture.
Earlier this year, Sakunda Holdings donated US$5,5 million, in cash and equipment, to Government to help improve people’s livelihoods, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company also donated $170 million for purchase of Covid-19 vaccines.
Football is the country’s national sport and the arrival of Sakunda Holdings, in the corner of the game’s two biggest franchises, is likely to breathe life into the sport.
The three-year sponsorship deal means that Dynamos will have Sakunda Holdings, as their principal sponsors, when the Glamour Boys celebrate the 60th anniversary of their founding, in 2023.
Established in 1963, DeMbare will be marking their 60th anniversary, in two years’ time.
They have provided the game with some of its finest stars, along the way, including George ‘’The Mastermind’’ Shaya, widely considered by many as the finest footballer, to emerge from this country.
Shaya passed away recently.
Highlanders are just five years from celebrating their century in 2026.
Just like their biggest rivals, Bosso have provided the game with some of its finest stars, including Peter Ndlovu, the greatest Warrior of all-time.
The deal secured by DeMbare and Bosso also come at a time when CAPS United, the other member of the Big Three, brought in new investors, into their fold, last week.
The new investors took a controlling take in the Green Machine.
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