FERWAFA open talks with potential league sponsors

Rwandan football governing body, FERWAFA is in talks with Congebaque, Azam and Bralirwa to sponsor next season’s national football league, which is scheduled to kick off on September 18. According to FERWAFA secretary general, Jean Olivier Mulindahabi, talks with the three companies started weeks ago and are going well. “We are still in talks, nothing has been agreed upon yet but we are at 60 per cent (into the talks) and we believe this time we will secure good deals with whoever we get as the main sponsor. There are some conditions we need to agree on before signing the deal. We will have many sponsors next season instead of one,” he told Times Sport in an exclusive interview. Mulindahabi added that, “We are doing everything possible to get sponsors for the league because we need to facilitate some teams that do really need it.” Because of lack of sponsors, last season’s league champions, APR FC only took the trophy minus any prize money as ideally would be the case with sponsors on board. The national league last had a title sponsor during the 2013/14 season under Bralirwa through their Turbo King Beer brand. All the 14 clubs playing in the topflight division league rely on government institutions and district authorities for their existence, something that has affected the way they (clubs) operate because they work under financial restrictions. And the lack of proper financial power in Rwandan football, clubs in both first and second division always fail to pay coaches and players on time hence affecting their performance on the field. Who sponsors which club: APR and Marines (Ministry of Defence), Police FC (Rwanda National Police), Rayon Sports (Nyanza District and Skol), AS Kigali (City of Kigali), Mukura Victory Sports (Huye District), Espoir FC (Rusizi District), Gicumbi FC (Gicumbi District), SC Kiyovu (Nyarugenge District), Sunrise FC (Eastern Province), Musanze (Musanze District), Amagaju (Nyamagabe District), Bugesera FC (Bugesera District) and Rwamagana FC (Rwamagana District),