Nairobi News

Sports

Sponsorship deprived Gor Mahia, AFC Leopards in deep financial crisis

By Nahashon Musungu September 10th, 2019 1 min read

Kenyan Premier League sides, Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards, are staring at an impending financial crisis, a month after sponsors SportPesa pulled the plug on millions of shillings worth of sponsorship deals with the two clubs.

Nairobi News understands the two clubs are yet to pay players salaries for the month of August.

Most of the new signings have also yet to be paid their signing-on fees.

Worse, basic amenities like water are now lacking during training sessions.

The team buses are also without sufficient fuel.

Separately, K’Ogalo management is grappling with an estimated Sh10 million bill needed to honour this weekend’s Caf Champions League first-round away match to Algeria’s USM Alger.

CRUCIAL FIXTURE

So much that the Kenyan champions have called for a fundraiser this Tuesday, an event that will be presided over by Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko.

“It’s true we don’t have money. We have exhausted what we had and if we cannot get funds before this weekend, it will mean our CAF campaigns will end at this stage,” Rachier told Citizen digital.

SportPesa stopped remitting sponsorship monies to these clubs after closing shop in the wake of a tax row with government.

The betting firm is about to resume business but is yet to officially announce whether it will consider renewing these sponsorship deals.