AFC Leopards chairman, Dan Shikanda, has said the club will no longer sign foreign players to avoid unnecessary confrontations with the world football governing body, Fifa.
Shikanda made the remarks moments after the club unveiled gaming firm Betika as their new shirt sponsor in a partnership agreement worth Sh 195 million meant to last for the next three years effective August 1.
“We have realised that most of our problems stem from signing foreign players who end up reporting us to Fifa anytime there is a slight misunderstanding,” Shikanda said sounding infuriated.
The Ingwe honcho said the arrival of Betika was bound to alleviate the grave financial constraints they have contended with in recent days.
“A good sponsor always stabilizes the club and, yes, Betika will most certainly solve most of the problems we have experienced in the past,” Shikanda said.
The sponsorship deal was announced through the ‘Betika Na Community Initiative,’ which aims to invest in the youth by nurturing talent through sports, arts, and culture.
“Welcome to the Ingwe family, we are proud to have the leading gaming firm on board. You have come to our rescue at a time when the club is facing tough times. Betika is the partner we have been looking forward to and we know that through your input, our performance on the pitch will improve and we hope to do more,” Shikanda said.
The deal comes exactly a day after Leopards terminated their contract with Spotika citing a violation of contractual terms.
Betika senior brand manager Eric Mwiti said they would continue nurturing talent at the grassroots.
“This partnership is solid and confirms our commitment to investing in the community through sports, arts and culture with football as the key focus. We seek to improve the standards of the game as we nurture talent both at the grassroots and national levels.
“We also strive to influence positive change among the youth through talents and skills development. We hope to make the club great again under this partnership. I am sure our partnership will bear greatness for not only the team but the fans at large,” he said.
