AFC Leopards Sports Club will need Sh150 million to effectively run its activities in the 2024/2025 football season that kicks off this weekend.
The budget, the biggest in the history of the club, will fund Ingwe’s three teams, the Kenyan Premiership side, AFC Leopards Youth and AFC Leopards Women, club chairman, Dan Shikanda said on Wednesday night.
Dr Shikanda made the revelations during the club’s colourful Gala Awards in Nairobi organised by one of the club’s branches U45 Unit Branch.
“We had a budget of Sh120 million for the senior team alone last years, but we require Sh150 million for the new season to be financially stable,” Dr Shikanda said.
But how are they going to raise this money considering the financial struggles the club encountered last season and have perpetually had to deal with over the years?
“Currently, we don’t have that kind of money to meet our expenditures and we are appealing to our fans, leaders and well-wishers to step out and assist the team,” said Shikanda.
He explained that the annual budget had ballooned because the club will be managing the three teams concurrently.
He said Leopards recorded a significant increase in their revenue last season, but did not meet the budget because of reduced attendance owing to lack of appropriate venues to host their home games.
Leopards was among the Nairobi-based clubs that suffered venue headaches after the government closed Nyayo National Stadium and Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani for renovation to meet CAF and Fifa requirements after they were designated as the proposed revenue for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 30,000-capacity has been the home ground for AFC Leopards since 1983 when the government-owned sports facility was inaugurated
According to extracts from the 2023/2024 annual financial report released by the club, Leopards generated Sh103,167,127 in revenue compared to Sh67,423,245 the previous season, with their main cash streams being shirt sponsor Betika who signed a three-year deal worth Sh65 million annually in 2022.
The club was also boosted with Sh30 million from Azam TV coming from the league broadcast rights deal as well as gate collections which increased significantly last season.
Shikanda said huge expenses were incurred from paying players after the transfer ban was lifted, as the club went on a shopping spree, bringing in over 10 players, with the salaries inflating the budgets.
Leopards also had to find a payment formula for former coach Patrick Aussems, who was owed Sh21.5 million in unpaid dues and fines, while the club was fined Sh500,000 by the FKF for crowd trouble in Kakamega while playing Kakamega Homeboyz in April last year.
Many times AFC Leopards has pleaded from financial assistance from well-wishes to fund its activities.
Speaking during the Gala Awards, Chief Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi who was the chief guest, urged the club members to support the idea of turning AFC Leopards into a corporate entity and allow members to buy shares.
Mudavadi reiterated support to the club, promising to attend some of their league matches whenever he is free.
“I promise to walk with you in the transformation journey, and I urge members to agree and change the current structures and implement the idea. Ounce you have a strategic plan, we shall support you,” he added.
The former club patron also promised to personally trace the land they were awarded by the late President Daniel Moi in Kasarani in 1992 to build a club house.
Midfielder Victor Omune won two award, Most Valuable Player and Player’s Player of the Season (voted by players), with cash rewards of Sh100,00 and Sh75,000 respectively.
Utility player Kaycie Odhiambo won the Fans’ Player of the Season (voted by fans) award that was accompanied with a Sh85,000 cash prize.
The Executive Branch was voted the Branch of the Season, pocketing Sh50,000 cash award while Kalson Amunya got Sh30,000 after being voted the Fan of the Season.
Leopards, who play Mathare United on Saturday in their opening FKF Premier League match, unveiled their new players Peter Mabok, Julius Masaba, Sydney Lukalo and Samuel Semo.
