Nkana, Power Dynamos, Mufurila Wanderers, Mufurila Black Pool, Nchanga Rangers, were traditionally the big boys of the Zambian game.
From the 60s until the mid-90s, winning league titles and participating in continental competitions was only a ritual practiced by copperbelt based teams.
Football is taken seriously in this part of the country and is entrenched in the very fabric of society. Nothing else matters to the games followers as much as the allegiance to one’s team.
According to renowned Zambian and African football writer, Ponga Liwewe, the teams that evolved in the mining communities were the heart and soul of Zambian football. This love affair went on for decades and well into the nineties. When Zambia played Zaire in a world cup qualifying match in Lusaka in 1989, all but one of the players in the starting line-up were of Copperbelt origin; Derby Makinka being the only exception.
This was the status quo in Zambian football until the mid-2000 when privatization took hold. The mining companies imploded as the change of ownership took place and Zambia, as we knew it irretrievably changed.
In the 21-year period between 1980 and 2001, only two non-mining teams won the football league, Green Buffaloes in 1981 and Kabwe Warriors in 1987. The rest of the titles were shared by Nkana, Power Dynamos, Mufulira Wanderers and Nchanga Rangers.The traditional giants and other mining teams all fell on hard times and the world order began to change.
REMODELLING ZESCO UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB
Founded in 1974, in Ndola, ZESCO United was incorporated as a Company limited by guarantee on 6th October 2014.
The club is one of the first to have pledged full compliance to the club licensing regulations in Zambia. With registration of the company, and the need to comply with club licensing, the club had to transform from a club to a company.
According to the club’s Chief Executive Officer, Richard Mulenga, the transformation started with putting in place principles of Corporate Governance.
“The Board of ZESCO United FC is the governing board of the company. The Management of ZESCO United Football Club is vested in the Executive Committee appointed by ZESCO United FC Board for a period of three years. The Executive committee is supported by a full-time Secretariat.
ZESCO Limited is the major sponsor of ZESCO United FC. The sponsorship is in form of annual grants to the club. At inception of the sponsorship in 2003, ZESCO Limited funded 100% of the club’s capital and operating budgets.”
The ever-changing business environment leading to financial constraints for major sponsors, has forced many clubs to change their sponsorship strategies by looking further afield.
ZESCO United is an example of a domestic and international club side whose ambition is to strive to raise a large chunk of its sponsorship from corporate bodies and through various revenue streams in order to be financially sound.
Management at the club are well aware of the circumstances that led to the downfall of the country’s most renowned football clubs whose life support was sorely dependant on the mining community.
“Zambian football history is littered with examples of clubs who have either been disbanded or have dropped to the lower leagues of the Zambian game. At the height of Zambian football in the 70s and 80s most football teams were sponsored by parastatal companies wholly owned by Government.
The mines under the umbra of ZCCM were the biggest sponsor with football teams in every Division of ZCCM; Kalulushi Morden Stars, in Kalulushi, Mutondo Star in Kitwe, Roan United in Luanshya, Mufulira Black pool and mighty Mufulira Wanderers in Mufulira, Nkana Red Devils in Kitwe to name but a few. Other parastatal companies like Zambia Railways sponsored teams like Kabwe Warriors and ZSIC had ZAMSURE. A few clubs like Ndola united and Kitwe United were sponsored by the local councils. There were a few clubs like City of Lusaka and Lusaka Tigers whose sponsorship was community based. Few others like Vita form United were sponsored by private companies. Regardless of the sponsors, these clubs were running as not for profit entities whose primary object was playing football for the entertainment of the fans. These clubs were not running as commercial ventures, but social clubs.”
A realization that football could be a major source of livelihood for most players led to unexpected operational costs especially for clubs without stable financial aid.
“At the beginning of the 2000 decade, a number of football players begun to realize that football was a profession like any other and their demands for professional contracts grew and only those clubs that had retained full sponsorships were able to retain and attract good players. This may account for the reason why only five teams have won the super division title in the last twenty years, namely Power Dynamos, Red Arrows, Nkana, ZESCO United and ZANACO. The cost of running football clubs was constantly increasing while the sponsorship was reducing.
This is the legacy that football administrators inherited at the start of club licensing regulations in Zambia in 2013. Clubs had to first start the transformation from social club to registered company. I believe that this process has not yet been completed by a few clubs. Administrative structures to comply with club licensing regulations also had to be put in place. Drafting of policies and procedures to comply with good Corporate Governance and financial best practices were also a must,” Mulenga explains.
ZESCO United is a football club currently undergoing an evolution on and off the pitch. Club management is working tirelessly to avoid the financial woes that plagued many of the nation’s traditional football powers by formulating good commercial strategies that will make the club stay afloat with or without direct funding from its current parent company.
“ZESCO United FC would like to think that they have taken a lead in this transformation. Being aware of the history of failed teams due to a reduction of or withdrawal of sponsorship, the club has embarked on a path to commercialize the company.
Currently ZUFC is in the process of formulating a five-year strategy business plan for the company. The focus of the Strategic plan will be a business model based on strong innovative ideas especially in marketing that will lead to financial sustainability, and strong Corporate Governance. Soon management will be engaging a consultant with a certain skill set. The company is looking for a consultant who has knowledge of the Zambian and Southern African football environment as well as proven skills in marketing, finance, investment, and business knowledge,” Mulenga concluded.
ZESCO United’s ultimate ambition is to focus on remaining competitive on the field of play and continue to achieve results in the face of the shifting landscape of the football economic environment in Zambia.
Author: Desmond Katongo
