How Kalekwa keeps Sofapaka afloat amid financial hardship

Football is undoubtedly one of the biggest sporting events globally and attracts wealthy business people who invest heavily in football clubs

Most community clubs in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League (FKF-PL) are literally struggling to finance their operations citing narrow resource bases and shrinking sponsorships with Sofapaka the latest victims.

Sofapaka President and owner Elly Mboni Kalekwa would wish to be in the league of club owners like Patrice Matsepe of Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa or Mohammed Dewji, a former Tanzanian politician who owns a 49 per cent stake at Dar-es-Salaam giants Simba Sports Club.

But due to lack of goodwill, the astute Congolese football administrator would find it a hard undertaking and has confined himself to keeping Batoto Ba Mungu afloat almost on an empty belly.

Kalekwa has repeatedly shunned several requests to sell Sofapaka that has produced players of international repute among them retired international John Baraza, Edgar Ochieng and Matthias Kigonya who turns out for Uganda national team Cranes.

Congolese football club

As for Dewji, the 46-year-old Tanzanian billionaire businessman is estimated to be worth Sh173 billion (USD1.5 billion).

The list is incomplete without mention of Moise Katumbi, the owner of the Congolese football club TP Mazembe which is the only African club that owns two private jets.

It has been reported that the 57-year-old businessman bought the jets using his funds.

However, in Kenya, club owners are struggling financially to run their clubs most notably Kalekwa, who is reportedly using an estimated Sh 400,000 per match to keep the team afloat in the Premier League matches despite his shrinking resources.

“Sofapaka would have been dead and buried were it not for Kalekwa’s sacrifice. Most football clubs in Africa that depend on their founders are dying and it’s by God’s grace that Sofapaka is alive and is increasingly giving other teams a run for their money due to Kalekwa’s benevolence,” said an informed source at the club.

A player from the club added: “I would rather stick with Sofapaka where payments are guaranteed regardless of the lateness when it shall be paid. Prezda (As Kalekwa is fondly referred to) tells us to work hard and the rest shall fall in place. Kalekwa has been a motivating factor for us.’’

Hard as steel, Kalekwa, despite his shrinking fortunes as a gemstones importer, is a go-getter and hardly makes Sofapaka players and the technical bench officials go hungry though there are sporadic times of salary payments.

The turning point for Sofapaka came when the team bought talented youthful players recently all at Kalekwa’s cost even as the team looks forward to hauling itself from the 13th position in the league chart.

Mathare United, one of the most successful teams in the FKF-PL almost closed their operations in the 2021/22 season when the team was relegated due to failure to honour three consecutive fixtures due to lack of finances.

However, the team received a lifeline and was reinstated in the league after the season was declared null and void since the league was not recognized by the world football governing body Fifa which had outlawed the game due to what it stated was the government’s interference in football matters.

Despite previously having a local betting company as a shirt sponsor, Mathare players were barely surviving since football and all other sporting activities were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Multiple players from the club confirmed that they had gone for three months without pay, thus resorting to menial jobs to fend for themselves and their dependents.

A midfielder at the club who sought anonymity said his employer’s efforts to have the government bail them out bore any fruits.

 In a tete-a-tete with PeopleSport, the distraught player made it known to him that he cannot bail him out since he has been thrown out of his rented apartment due to a default to pay rent dues.

“Life has been difficult for us. We have not been paid for several months. The management keeps on telling us to be patient as they requested money from the government to assist us but nothing is forthcoming,” said the player.

A midfielder at the club who sought anonymity said his employer’s efforts to have the government bail them out have not borne any fruits nor are efforts to reach President William Ruto who is an ardent football fan.

After Mathare lost their sponsorship, the club’s players have been going through a torrid time.

More Articles

---