Dire financial crisis
best describes the hole that once financially healthy AFC Leopards have plunged
to in the 2015 Kenya Premier League season. With Mumias Sugar Company facing
uncertain times financially, AFC Leopards played precariously close to financial
death! It hit them as the first leg drew to a close and has refused to go away
even as the second leg started over the weekend. Maybe, Ingw’e cheated death
but the scars have devastatingly hurt them.
Former skipper, Martin
Imbalambala was nearly thrown out of his rented house in Thika over unpaid
rent. Ugandan import Karim Ndungwa, a day after his exploits as stand-in
goalkeeper in the 1-0 win over Sofapaka had to leave for his country too, as he
could barely pay his rent and bills. Mass exodus of players followed. Ingw’e
could barely raise a team against Sofapaka in the first leg and now against
Thika United in Saturday’s aborted match, they only had 14 players to choose
from! Such is the shame that the cash-crunch has plunged the once revered club
into. A consequence of incapable leadership that solely went asleep when Mumias
Sugar kept pumping in the money. Now, begging bowls define AFC Leopards.
Hand-outs and harambees feed this weakened leopard whose spots are fast
disappearing! It is shameful and all Ingw’e faithful know it. What irks all
Ingw’e fans is the bitter fact that their nemesis, Gor Mahia are running away
with the league title, despite lack of a sponsor since TUZO pulled out nearly
two years ago!
The club is simply
paying hard for its poor management systems worsened by political patronage
that is finally killing the team! Death is inevitable if no tangible solution
is found thick and fast!The big club is run like a personal kiosk that in its
owner’s absence can never function! With a near-colossal fan following in
Western Kenya and entire nation, no one in the Ingw’e den ever saw the need to
make financial use of this huge fan base, only rivalled by her nemesis, Gor
Mahia! The Mumias Sugar sponsorship sent the club’s leadership to a deep sleep
and now financial starvation has woken them up. Some have found the going tough
and made hasty exits as former chairman, Allan Kasavuli did! Others like former
Secretary General, Timothy Lilumbi chose Mugabe-like antics and clung on to
their positions even as the ship sank. He had to be literally forced out by
irate fans who stormed his workplace baying for his blood. In the backside, a
caretaker committee led by former chairman and Speaker of the Nairobi County
Assembly, Joseph Ole Magelo quietly pulled out citing hostilities from the duly
elected club committee. A midweek fund-raiser headlined by the top honchos in
the Luhya community raised at least Sh 5.5 million. Tribe once again brought
together the people, at least to fill the empty stomachs of her sons who don
the famous Ingw’e colors! Former Prime Minister, known for his love for the
beautiful game, President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy, William Ruto all made
hefty contributions to this desperate cause within the Ingw’e camp! But will
the club rely on hand-outs and harambees driven by human apathy to suffering to
stay afloat in the coming seasons? No, it is not possible.
The club’s leadership
has failed to capitalize on the colossal fan base to sell the Ingw’e
merchandise! Replica jerseys, wrist bands, caps and all other forms of club
merchandise never make sense to the officials. Gate collections, sponsorships
and miserable hand-outs do! The club must wake up and make money out of her colossal
fan-base. With at least one million countrywide fans through membership drives,
the club can rake in at least Sh100 million monthly if each fan contributes a
meagre Sh100 a month! With such monthly contributions, player and technical
bench salaries and allowances can always be smoothly paid in time. Selling the
club’s merchandise too can be an invaluable avenue of raising funds. Replica
jerseys, caps, wrist bands et all are every fan’s love! Every fan wants to don
his/her club’s colors all over the world! Can officials in the Ingw’e see this?
Merchandizing and fans’ membership drives are key to solving the financial
crisis that are bedeviling AFC Leopards. Prudent accounting of gate collections
in all home matches for AFC Leopards must be made too by the responsible
official. The club, just like Gor Mahia fills the stadium in home matches and
this should translate to financial gain if prudent accounting system is in
place.
Due to political
patronage, pathetic financial accounting and management systems and lack of
visionary leadership, AFC Leopards is paying in the worst way possible. The
players feel the vicious heat and as it happened, other clubs easily pluck them
away. The fans agonize as too as they watch their club on her knees and
dismally performing in a league that years ago, it easily had made her own! The
club must solve the financial crisis with clear long-term solutions. Otherwise,
the shame of begging bowls and apathy-driven harambees will cling on the
leopard skin for years to come!
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