The Kenyan Premier League has admitted being under pressure to attract new title sponsor as time seems to be running out.
This comes barely three days after the National Super League struck a Sh 90 million three-year-long deal with Betika, leaving the elite football league in the country grappling to envy the second tier's deep pockets.
KPL was left reeling after another betting firm SportPesa closed its financial taps in August due to what they termed as an unfavourable business environment.
This forced them to plunge into the corporate world in search of a replacement to bankroll their operations, key among them boost the 18 clubs with monthly grants.
KPL revealed their frustrations in their search for a new sponsor after one of their suitors apparently withdrew their offer after reaching an agreement, according to their Chief Executive Officer Jack Oguda.
The administrator also disclosed that they were turned down by Betika who opted to partner with NSL who were also left without a source of income after Bamba Sport who wired Sh 10 million annually pulled out in September. Oguda said, their marketing committee will draw inspiration from the NSL's recent deal.
“The NSL getting a sponsor is positive for Kenyan football and we welcome it. It's a motivation for us. However, it also puts us under the pressure of getting ours. We had also approached Betika but we were not successful. We had also reached an agreement with another potential sponsor but withdrew without an explanation. We will continue to mount a spirited search for the benefit of our football,” he said.
Meanwhile, KPL yesterday once again denied reaching an agreement with one of the leading banks in the region following reports circulating on social media. The governing body was in August rumoured to have sealed a deal with the bank which has a team in the FKF Division One league, reports which Oguda vehemently denied.
“I can't confirm we have a new sponsor yet. Our agents might have approached the said bank but the Marketing Committee is yet to receive any offer from them. It takes a while to get a sponsor but we will double our efforts,” he noted.
