AFC Leopards players celebrate a past match. The team might withdraw from continental football due to funds. [Photo/Nation]
The withdrawal of Sportpesa from sponsoring football in the country has taken a toll on Kenya’s biggest clubs, with AFC and Gor Mahia needing over Sh30 million each to cater for expenses in their first round of continental assignments.
The betting firm withdrew its sponsorship, after a new tax regime that they said will hurt their operations.
The two Kenyan heavyweight teams are set to represent the country in various continental assignments, with their first matches set for early next month.
Ingwe will play Malagasy side FOSA Juniors in the first week of February and submitted the list of players that will take part in the competition to CAF.
AFC have included six new players in their squad, with goalkeeper Ezekiel Owade, forwards Ezekiel Otuoma and Ezekiel Odera, Ghanaian Prince Ako, Nigerian Henry Uche and Ugandan winger Baker Alukoya.
According to the team’s chairman Dan Mule, they might pull out if Sportpesa makes good their threat of withdrawing as sponsors.
“I don’t know if we can honor those fixtures without sponsorship. We could go back to begging from politicians, but no individual can provide air tickets for a team of 30 players for the entire tournament. It is very expensive. We may have to strike it off the budget," said Mule as quoted by the Nation.
“We have no other sponsor apart from SportPesa, we are asking the government to rethink their decision and withdraw the punitive tax law,” Mule added.