Zimbabwe have secured a partnership deal with NetOne which is set to be unveiled in Harare today.
The Warriors have become hot property after they became the only Southern African national football team to qualify for the Nations Cup finals in Gabon.
The nations campaign has turned them into star attractions for corporate partners with the first major deal, a $250 000 sponsorship package from NetOn.
Although it has taken time for them to start reaping benefits that come with their success, the corporate partners are now lining up in their corner ahead of their Gabon adventure.
The Herald, which exclusively revealed on Monday that ZIFA have secured a partner for the Warriors’ Gabonese excursion and who will also meet some of the Association’s commitments, can reveal that a number of sponsors — including some based in South Africa are now queuing to partner Callisto Pasuwa and his men in Gabon.
Kwese Media, the new player shaking the sports broadcasting landscape in Africa by laying the foundation to challenge established broadcasters like SuperSport are also eyeing a possible partnership with the Warriors.
A number of kit sponsors, including Kappa, have also been exploring the possibility of partnering the Warriors in Gabon and also establishing long-term deals. ZIFA announced recently that their marriage with their kit sponsors, Joma, had collapsed although the Association still retains the company as one of their sponsors, on its official website, as they finalise the disengagement process.
Joma are also retaining ZIFA as one of their partners on the company’s official website. This morning, ZIFA and NetOne will unveil a package for the Warriors and the Association a day before the team start their camp for the African Cup of Nations.
Crucially, for ZIFA, the sponsorship comes at a time when corporate assistance has been elusive due to the bad image of the domestic football’s governing body. ZIFA had to rely on the benevolence of businessman Wicknell Chivayo, who single-handedly funded the Warriors, firstly paying off Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet, who was owed $180 000, after his short flirtation with the Warriors.