ZESCO United Football Club Team Ya Ziko
ATLASMARA BANK has announced the extension of the shirt sponsorship deal with ZESCO United ahead of the 2023/24 league season.
The one-year contract extension between Atlasmara and ZESCO United will stretch the two institutions partnership into a sixth year.
Speaking during the ZESCO United and Atlasmara Players Awards Gala Dinner held this evening at Protea Hotel in Ndola, Atlasmara acting Chief Executive Officer, Bobbline Cheembela says ZESCO United is among the many success stories that the Bank intends to maintain when the institution merges with Access Bank.
“As you may be aware, Atlas Mara is currently working on a merger with Access Bank and once the merger process is complete later this year the merged bank will be rebranded as Access Bank Zambia Limited. As part of the integration process, there is agreement that in order to create a much stronger merged bank, all the good things on the Atlas Mara side and on the Access Bankside will be adopted and I can assure you that the partnership with ZESCO United FC has been deemed as one of those good things that we would love to continue with.
“Our sponsorship package with ZESCO United has grown over the years with the 2022/23 MTN Super League season reaching a record high of K2.2 million which affirms our ongoing commitment to fostering sports development in Zambia,” Cheembela said.
Meanwhile ZESCO United Chairman, Maxwell Saya has commended the bank for keeping its faith in the club for the past five years.
“The sound benefits ZESCO United football club has accrued from Atlasmara’s kit sponsorship in the past five years and which the bank has generously extended for another season is greatly appreciated.
“ZESCO United’s nine league titles and its exploits at continental level wouldn’t have been possible without the consistent material and financial support of the two sponsors-ZESCO Limited the parent sponsor and Atlasmara the kit sponsor. This is testament of a productive and mutually beneficial relationship between the club and its two dedicated sponsors,” he said.
Saya has further expressed confidence ZESCO United will bounce back stronger after finishing third in the just ended league season.
“We are optimistic of a better performance this season not by banking on luck but because we have learned from others that have made it under unique circumstances such as MUZA, we have learned from our failures and we have also put in place measures to improve our performance both on and off the pitch. We restructured and boosted the technical bench, we reinforced the team, rejuvenated the spirit of team work and gathered the courage to dust ourselves and moved forward.”
And Copperbelt Minister, Elisha Matambo, has commended ZESCO Limited and Atlasmara for complementing governments efforts to develop football in the country.
“The growth of football as a commercialized industry should potentially create more jobs and commercial exploits for communities. In this regard, sponsors like ZESCO Limited and Atlasmara must see their sponsorship as investments with immense economic benefits to the country,” Matambo said.
Author: Desmond Katongo
