Betting Firms Betway, SportPesa Fighting To Sponsor KPL Club AFC Leopards

Two leading betting firms "are fighting to clinch the shirt sponsoring rights" of Kenyan Premier League club AFC Leopards, according to Isaac Swila of ALL AFRICA. Daily Nation Sport reported that online betting firm Betway had agreed to a deal with the club and the unveiling of the partnership "was imminent." However, SportPesa, which is also the title sponsor of the KPL, has "also sounded out AFC Leopards to be their shirt sponsors." The partnership between AFC Leopards and Betway is to run for three years to a tune of Sh25M ($240,000) annually but SportPesa "ambushed" its competitor by "dangling a sweeter deal." According to sources within the club, SportPesa wants to pump in Sh30M ($290,000) annually in a five-year arrangement. Leopards co-Chair Mathews Opwora: "SportPesa have a lot of conditions which they want us to fulfil. Some of them are not acceptable to us. The other firm has very good things for us. We met with their director yesterday (Tuesday)" (ALL AFRICA, 1/27).