AFC Leopards chairman Dan Shikanda says he is determined to transform the club into a formidable self-sustaining institution.
Speaking exclusively to the Star on Thursday, Shikanda said he was determined to adopt a fresh model in a bid to salvage the club from perennial financial hiccups that have jolted their aspirations for a 14th title over the years.
The traditional Kenyan Premier League giants have limped throughout the season with their lukewarm performances, leaving them rooted in an unfamiliar 11th place on the standings with 28 points.
They have registered six wins, six losses and 10 draws.
“When I took the reigns, I set out to establish an institution as opposed to concentrating all the efforts on enhancing the performance of the team on the pitch," said Shikanda.
“Making the players perform better without offering them better services only end up exposing them to rival clubs with better financial muscles and, as such, possess the capacity to snatch them from us.”
The exit of key sponsors including SportsPesa has left their accounts badly damaged, he said.
“We can't just sit back and watch as our ambitions continue to go down the drain. Urgent steps must be taken to restore the dignity of the club,” Shikanda said.
The Leopards' honcho said an unprecedented mass exodus of star players had forced them to discard their title ambitions this season.
Shikanda said he was glad they have managed to remain afloat in the top-flight competition in the wake of all the grave challenges that have rocked and threatened to capsize their ship in recent years.
“After losing key players in the preceding season, there was a general feeling we would become the whipping boys of the top tier and perhaps sink into relegation. Against all expectations, we have weathered the storm,” said Shikanda.
He said they would be holding a fundraiser at the end of the month in a bid to close the existing deficit that has negated the club's operations.
“As we speak, we are grappling with a 60 per cent deficit in our annual budget. What our shirt sponsors are pumping is not enough to address all our needs," he said, adding that funds donated by the Football Kenya Federation Caretaker Committee haven't been enough to plug all the loopholes.
“So far we have received Sh600,000 spread across two months. It did help in a certain way but our budget is far much over and above,” Shikanda said.
