This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
August 13, 2019 - AFC Leopards, one of Kenya's top sports federations, is facing a severe financial crisis after their shirt sponsor, a leading bookmaker, pulled out last week due to tax arrears.
The club's new chairman, Dan Shikanda, has announced a member recruitment drive aimed at registering between 10,000 and 15,000 members in the next two months.
According to Shikanda, the initiative is to ensure members sponsor the club as they look for alternative sources of revenue.
“We are going to register between 10,000 and 15,000 members in the next two months who we believe will help in solving club’s financial issues even though we have written proposals to different companies seeking sponsorship,” Shikanda said.
The club has also launched a Paybill Number 196464 for members to contribute towards the team kitty.
Shikanda believes the members can make this dream attainable and has also announced plans to launch a new app in the coming weeks to assist in running the issues of the club.
The club's plight mirrors that of Gor Mahia, who four years ago adopted a similar approach at the height of its financial crunch.
