Be Forward Wanderers FC can now breathe a sigh of relief as their sponsors Be Forward (Japan) Limited have shelved their plans to suspend the club’s sponsorship by three months.
The Japanese used car dealer was planning to suspend the Nomads’ sponsorship due to effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
But The Nation has established that following protracted negotiations between the two parties, through sponsorship coordinator Mike Butao, the sponsor has softened up, opting to review the situation on a monthly basis.
“However, for the time being, the two parties have agreed that the sponsorship cut will continue until business normalises for Be Forward Limited,” a source confided in The Nation on Thursday.
Butao confirmed the development in an interview yesterday, saying: “There will be no suspension. At least that’s the position as at now.
“Be Forward is doing everything to try and normalise the situation, but business has taken a massive hit. As I said before, things are kind of rough in Japan right now as there are no ships coming in and leaving Japan, meaning no sale of cars till the situation improves.
“It will take a long while for things to get back to normal. So, we will review the situation month by month.”
However, the Nomads chairperson Symon Sikwese yesterday said so far, they have not heard anything from their sponsor.
But last week, the club’s general secretary Victor Maunde revealed that their sponsorship appeared uncertain; hence, the move to seek President Peter Mutharika’s intervention during the stadia project unveiling ceremony in Blantyre.
He said: “We do not necessarily expect the help to come from government, rather we believe that because of the President’s influence, he can help us through other ways.”
The Nomads also feel betrayed that government did not lived to its word to help the club settle debts amounting to K59 225 000 incurred from their 2018 CAF Champions League participation and have since followed it up with The Nomads’ CAF debt has reportedly swelled from K59 million to K79 million due to accumulated interest. Wanderers also have other debts in excess of K150 million and Sikwese fears that this could lead to the country’s oldest club closing shop.
