It’s bitter news for AFC Leopards, as things turn upside down for one of Kenya’s most successful teams. Mumias Sugar Company has withdrawn sponsorship for the club for at least three months. This is be a major blow for AFC, known affectionately by its fans as INGWE, which has been squabbling over which league to play in – Federation of Kenya Football or Kenya Premier League.
The club now has two teams, splintered along two rival groups. According to Goal.com, INGWE Secretary General George Aladwa confirmed receipt of the information. “We received a letter from our sponsors informing us that they have suspended their sponsorship for three months. They have done this to give themselves time to be able to sort out their financial challenges and we hope that after that they will come back,” Aladwa told Goal.
The sugar manufacturer is undergoing financial squeeze caused by huge losses, forcing the government to bail it out to the tune of Ksh5 billion. This is one of the reasons for the withdrawal but it’s not lost on football fans that AFC’s den has not be in order, as petty club rivalry take centre stage.
The news came a few hours after Ingwe mauled Nakuru Top Fry 3-1 in a Kenyan Premier League (KPL) match. Analysts say it will take a lot of convincing for AFC to have Mumias back as sponsors at a time when it is undergoing management changes.
AFC joins its rivals, Gor Mahia, whose sponsorship was withdrawn by Tuzo at the end of the 2013 season.
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