By Mike Mubanga
News broke out early on Sunday that Zambia has signed a two
year deal with Singaporean sportswear company, Mafro.
The Zambia National soccer team recently flirted with Italian sportswear
brand Kappa, but it has now officially emerged that the Football Association of
Zambia (FAZ) has signed a US$400,000 with Mafro for two years.
The deal sees the Association getting $200,000 cash and playing kit
for the senior team, the Under 23, Under 20, Under 17 and all women’s’ teams
for a period of two years bringing the total package to about $400,000.
The deal will see Zambia retaining the traditional green, orange and
white colours with black shorts also available for alternative use.
It's not close to the undisclosed Nike deal that the 2012 African
Champions signed which was cut short after high levels of indiscipline were
uncovered in the manner in which the deal was handled.
A top FAZ official told Blogger Mike Mubanga Says that the Association
was ahead business wise and pledged to deliver the best value for all football
stakeholders across the country.
Locally, the Association has continued with its distribution of kit and
soccer balls, with Lusaka and Copperbelt the only provinces remaining before
the exercise can be wrapped up.
And while FAZ General Secretary Ponga Liwewe confirmed the Mafro deal on
Sunday morning, millions of Zambians saw the young Copper Bullets dawn the
new jersey in their opening Group C match against Portugal, in which they beat
the two time world champions 2-1.
'Kappa and Mafro
kit clash?'
However, the audience saw members of the technical bench wearing Kappa
but Mike Mubanga Says has established that the players and team could not wear a
jersey depicting three bullets as FIFA found it offensive.
This sent FAZ into panic mode and while they successfully managed
to change for the players, the track suits could not be corrected in 48
hours.
But spectators wonder why the bench should not have used unbranded track
suits as they wait for the new kit which will be delivered on Monday.
Nevertheless, one hopes the Mafro deal will give birth to the transparency
and accountability that football stakeholders have called for time and again.
