Africa-Press – Malawi. Mighty Wanderers and Salima Sugar Company Limited have finalised a partial sponsorship agreement until the end of the season. Through the deal, Salima Sugar will bankroll the Nomads to the tune of K60 million for the rest of the season. The two parties have signed an agreement and the unveiling ceremony is expected soon.
Both Salima Sugar and Wanderers officials confirmed the development Wednesday. Salima Sugar company Secretary Dr Charles Thupi said it was a done deal.
“Both of us have signed the papers and everything is in place now. We will give them K60 million for the remainder of the season. After that, we will sit down and discuss a new deal,” Thupi said.
However, Thupi said the company expects discipline from both players and fans on and off the pitch. Wanderers Chairperson Chancy Gondwe was excited with the deal.
“We are happy with Salima Sugar and we shall repay them with our performance on the pitch. This is partial sponsorship. We shall not relent on seeking more and more sponsors. The public shall be informed of the actual details in the sponsorship at an appropriate time,” he said. Meanwhile, Wanderers have been registered as a Private Limited Company as the club took a bold step towards its commercialisation drive.
“We expect to unveil the Board of Directors who will be responsible for the direction of the company. And there will be some changes in terms of structures of the team. We will have a management committee that will be responsible for day-to-day running of the club,” Gondwe added.
The Nomads are currently third in the TNM Super League with 37 points from 21 matches, eight points behind joint leaders Nyasa Big Bullets and Silver Strikers.
They are also in the Round of 16 of FDH Bank Cup and they will meet Chitipa United. Sports analyst George Kaudza Masina hailed the Nomads for taking a step in the right direction.
“Registering as a company is a step in the right direction. With Wanderers running as a company, this will instill confidence in their cooperate partners unlike the case when the team had no clear ownership.
“This is manifested in the Salima Sugar Limited deal which has been stalling for a long time as the new financiers were skeptical of dealing with individuals. With a full time secretariat, the Nomads are likely going to reap the fruits of commercialisation,” he said. The Nomads were without sponsors after the end of their deal with Japanese car dealers Be Forward Limited in December last year.
