Row erupts over league sponsorship

In a bizarre twist of events, all 12 clubs competing in Zanzibar premier soccer league have boycotted to receive sports gear kindly donated by sponsors Zantel.

The boycott has come barely a day after Zanzibar Football Association had signed a Sh55m package worth of sports gear with the mobile telephone service providers.

The chairman of Isles top flight sides union, Mohamed Masoud, said the decision has been reached as a result of ZFA`s stance to hide details of the sponsorship deal.

Masoud said Isles clubs can not accept a seemingly no-transparent deal without proper details and explanations.

Leaders of the premiership clubs have been sidelined from getting details of the sponsorship contract between ZFA and Zantel.

The clubs demand to be given sports gear that include shoes, jerseys, bags and balls but so far the sponsors have only managed to donate balls.

It has been revealed that Zantel had to pay Sh7 million for each club competing in the league and to the contrary ZFA declared Sh5.5 million.

League winners have been promised Sh10 million as prize package and half of the amount for the team finishing runners up.

ZFA have been under strong criticism by clubs for their failure to expose the sponsorship contract to the premiership teams.

“We are not in a position to use Zantel’s outfit during league matches before the sponsorship deal is displayed to us for review and approval,“ said Masoud.

ZFA`s assistant secretary Masoud Attai said sponsors are to blame for violation of sponsorship deal and not his body.

However, teams have agreed to feature in the league that kicks off tomorrow but without putting on Zantel outfits.

Zanzibar premiership teams are Miembeni, Mundu, Duma, Chipukizi, KMKM, Mafunzo, JKU, Malindi, Kizimbani, Jamhuri, Hard-Rock and Police.

• SOURCE: Guardian