Nyasa dares BB on CAF participation

Big Bullets prospective partners Nyasa Manufacturing Company (NMC) has offered the club CAF Champions League participation should it be on course to meeting the terms of the strategic partnership in the coming season.

The cigarette manufacturing company dangled the carrot when it met the team’s executive committee and board of trustees on Monday and Tuesday in Blantyre.

Bullets and NMC recently signed a five-year agreement that will see the latter pumping in K500 million ($847,732).

“The meeting was aimed at expressing expectations from both parties and it was made very clear that this is more of a strategic partnership than sponsorship in which they will fund the club’s operations and in return, we’ll be expected to use our supporters’ structures to promote Nyasa products,” said Bullets vice-general secretary Kelvin Moyo yesterday.

“The sponsor is very excited with the prospective deal and they have affirmed that if the team demonstrates that it is up to scratch in discharging all agreed terms, they could consider sponsoring our CAF Champions League participation after the coming season.”

During the meeting, a joint working committee was put in place to formulate on how marketing and revenue maximising will be effected. The committee includes Bullets chairperson Samuel Chilunga, his first vice Sadiki Malinga and Nyasa marketing director Steve Munthali.

“The major area of focus will be to activate supporters’ zonal committees across the country. These will play a critical role in the entire business enterprise,” he said.

The two parties also want to use Bullets’ huge fan base to fight the smuggling of cigarettes into the country from across the borders.

“All soccer-loving Malawians are encouraged to report this vice to the authorities since it is impacting negatively on the country’s economy. Nyasa is a Malawian brand which pays tax and we need to get rid of the smugglers syndicate not only for the good of the team but also our economy,” Moyo said.

Nyasa have also said setting up of a secretariat complete with an accountant, will be one of the conditions for the deal which is expected to be effected on January 1 2016. n