Firms to gain from sponsoring football

There is a great sense of enthusiasm exuded by Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League clubs and their players following the resumption of action that was marked by the kick-off of the 2022/2023 season last weekend.

While soccer fans embrace the restart of Kenya’s most popular sport and wait for Fifa to lift the ban imposed on the country, it would be prudent for all to ponder what the clubs stand to gain from the resumption considering that FKF has yet to secure a sponsor for the league.

Granted, lack of corporate goodwill towards the league has been a well-documented subject, but it is worth revisiting given that sponsorship is the lifeblood of sports. This is what makes a difference between the survival or disintegration of a team.

Lack of financial muscle has in the past led to some teams closing shop. Among those who took a hard hit were Sony Sugar and Chemelil Sugar although community clubs such as Mathare United, Sofapaka, Vihiga Bullets and Wazito have also been affected by the challenge. The challenges have led to some teams like Mathare being relegated. They only got a lifeline to return to top-tier competition after the government nullified the last league.

Stakeholders must admit that lack of sponsorship in the league has left the team in dire straits, which is why there is a lot of apprehension about its success this season given that many clubs — especially those who do not get direct funding from their sponsoring companies — will find it difficult to honour matches.

With lack of sponsorship in the league that has just got underway, it can only be assumed that it will not be business as usual for participating teams. As long as there will be no corporate entities sponsoring teams and players in the league, there will be a lot of apprehension and the impact of the league will be severely hampered as it will be difficult for clubs to attract fans if they are struggling. After all, nothing succeeds like success.

Even if the country is going through a recession, there is still a window of opportunity for companies to support sports as part of their sustainability and corporate social responsibility agenda since they can impact society positively through sports.

It would make a lot of sense to conclude, therefore, that this is the best time for well-wishers — especially the corporate world — to think critically about supporting football and explore ways that they too can benefit from the resultant publicity and public goodwill.