Football Kenya Federation Premier League side AFC Leopards will earn Ksh60 million per season from their new sponsor, Spotika.
Leopards secured the betting firm as their new partner after Betsafe – with whom they had signed a sponsorship deal for three years only to be terminated with one year to go – exited before last season was concluded.
"Basically, our key concern is to ensure we create a conducive atmosphere for our players by promptly paying their salaries and allowances," Dan Shikanda, the AFC Leopards chairman, said, as quoted by The Star when they unveiled Spotika.
"We've witnessed a mass exodus of star players in recent years, and this deal will most certainly prevent such situations in the future."
The unveiling was attended by high-profile government officials, including Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Director of Immigration Alex Muteshi.
On his part, Ingwe’s assistant head coach, Tom Juma, welcomed Spotika’s arrival and revealed that even their traditional rivals, Gor Mahia, will soon unveil a new sponsor.
"This is definitely very good news. We are now certain of a good performance next season given our title contention in the preceding season was watered down by financial difficulties," Juma stated.
"I believe with such sponsorship, the community clubs will get back on their feet. I'm told Gor Mahia will also be unveiling their sponsors in the coming days, and that means we shall be having a very competitive league next season, especially between the two arch-rivals.
"The league was crippled by the absence of sponsors, something that led to Mathare United's downfall towards the end of the season. We hope that more sponsors will come on board to rescue the community clubs that have endured tough times, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic."
GOAL understands that Gor Mahia are in talks with BetAfriQ, a sister company to Spotika, over a possible partnership.
Betsafe sponsored both Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards since 2020, but the company terminated the sponsorship deal in 2022, throwing the two local giants into financial turmoil.
