Let�s up the ante�

Thuso Palai | Wednesday April 30, 2014 17:36

The Botswana football season came to a close this past weekend.  The beMobile Premier League and the Debswana First Division Leagues came to a gripping conclusion.  Up until the last day, we did not know as to who would win the Championships, who would get into the Top 8 positions, who would get relegated and who would get into the play-offs.

It was a rather interesting if not controversial season that delivered action on and off the field. The Mascom Top 8 also came to a close a few months back and as usual, it attracted a lot of attention. To a large extent, and despite the controversies, I would say sponsors got their monies worth.  beMobile, Mascom, Orange, Debswana and all the others that are associated with football do get a lot of mentions and are quite visible. That is the power of football.

The contracts of two of the sponsors are up soon. beMobile sponsorship of the Premier League ends soon. Mascom’s sponsorship of the Mascom Top 8 was in its last year. Already there is talk of some other companies showing interest. This can only augur well for the BFA as that will most probably breed competition, thus upping the sponsorship amounts.

I cannot for a second comprehend, the contracts being renewed with the same sponsorship amounts as the last contracts. The hope is that the current sponsors will renew, with increased sponsorship amounts. If not, others are waiting to pounce. They have to up the ante or lose out.

Mascom have indicated that they would like to renew their sponsorship and they will most probably increase their sponsorship. Although a bit coy with information, beMobile has also shown interest to renew their sponsorship.

However that is the one that most sought after products, and it will be interesting as to who gets it. There is already speculation that some companies have shown interest with more sponsorship money. beMobile will have first option, but they have to increase the sponsorship, otherwise they might lose out.

There is talk that one commercial bank has thrown a spanner in the works with an offer that seems too good to be true. Apparently the ‘Bank’ has shown interest, putting up a substantial amount of money which would see the winner of the League winning a whopping P5 million as opposed to the current P1 million. How I wish that could see the light of day. Talking to a few people in the know, they could neither confirm nor deny, but there is never smoke without fire. As much as possible, the BFA should be on the lookout for a better deal that they got the last time around. The product has grown and it deserves more. The clubs deserve more.

It is about time we up the ante and secure mega deals that will see the teams benefit more. I know that football is always in the news, and at times for the wrong reasons, but for me, what these companies get in terms of visibility and brand awareness is immense. As much as we would want to be loyal to the current sponsors and would want to continue with them, they should up their game. If not, whoever is ready to open their cheque book with a bigger deal should be listened to.

I hope that all negotiations will be in good faith and at the end of the day; FOOTBALL will be the winner and not certain individuals. This is a time when we need to put aside our interests and put the interests of FOOTBALL forth.