By Staff Reporter
SPORTS betting firm Betway Zambia has signed a K10 million annual sponsorship deal with the Zambia Premier League (ZPL).
The deal that was signed at Sarovar Hotel in Lusaka yesterday marks the first major sponsor agreement the ZPL has sealed since it was delinked from the Football Association of Zambia this season.
ZPL now autonomously runs the top two tiers of the Zambian league while FAZ will focus on national team matters.
Betway Zambia CEO Trevis Mulenga described the annual sponsorship deal as a new chapter in Zambian football.
“We are officially announcing our Betway partnership with the FAZ under the Zambian Premier League, we will be sponsoring MTN Super League and will be called the official betting partner of the Zambian Super League,” Mulenga said.
“The partnership in itself is an investment of up to K10 million annually.”
Mulenga added that the announcement was even more exciting for the domestic game following Chipolopolo’s return to the AFCON after an eight-year absence.
“We can see from the recent AFCON qualifiers that indeed we are on course to restore pride in our game. As Betway, our brand is focused on delivering quality and helping improve the game in the country,” Mulenga said.
And Sports Minister Elvis Nkandu described the deal as a major milestone for Zambian football.
Meanwhile, FAZ President Andrew Kamanga said in a speech read on his behalf by FAZ vice president Justin Mumba that he was excited to see the early fruits of ZPL’s autonomy.
“We are happy that the Zambian Premier League has hit the ground running since taking up the commercial side of business. With what we are witnessing today, we have no doubt that the future of the Zambian game is bright,” Kamanga said.
However, Kamanga said that women’s football must not be left behind following the huge strides it has made over the last ten years.
