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Eddie Chikamhi Senior Sports Reporter
HARARE giants Dynamos are anxious about the future of their relationship with BancABC who have indicated they might not come back to bankroll the club when the current sponsorship deal expires at the end of the year. DeMbare and fellow Premiership giants Highlanders have enjoyed the privilege of the sponsorship since 2011. But the financial group has not been performing well in the last two years and it looks like the country’s oldest clubs could also be affected by a raft of cost-cutting measures being instituted in Africa by the bank’s parent company, Atlas Mara.

Dynamos board of directors secretary Mthokozisi Nkosi said the former champions are currently involved in negotiations with the bank and will probably have a clearer picture of what the future holds for them in the coming month. Nkosi also indicated that the Glamour Boys are looking at more alternatives as they brace for the lean years ahead.

“I would say at this stage my comments will not be adequate. Maybe if you can give us possibly two to three weeks then we can actually comprehensively address that. “But what we are really looking at is to say yes there are a number of stakeholders that are also keen to come on board.

“We appreciate very much what our sponsors have done and what they continue to do but like I’m saying the best response will be after two to three weeks. “We all know the economic environment at present is actually forcing a number of organisations to rethink, to revisit their obligations and sponsorship in terms of sport is an area that is not an exception. So these guys are doing the same.

“However, we also want to say from a business perspective you need awareness. Soccer in particular is one avenue that an organisation can use and continue to get the exposure that they want. “So there might have been concerns here and there but again there is a positive correlation when we look at the awareness and publicity in sponsorship.

“I’m not going to say how BancABC are going to move forward. Of course there are negotiations which I’m saying could be concluded in two to three weeks,” said Nkosi. Dynamos and Highlanders entered into separate sponsorship deals with the financial institution in 2011 with the company committing itself to avail players’’ salaries, providing jerseys, training kits, travelling bags, and golf shirts for both sides.

BancABC even went a step further to bankroll DeMbare in the CAF Champions League. The initial deal expired in 2013 and was renewed for three more years. The bank invested close to $1m into each team per season and BancABC also helped them strike technical sponsorship deals with Adidas for the supply of kits and replicas.

BancABC Also had other sponsorship deals with clubs such as Chapungu and Flame Lily. However, a source close to the dealings yesterday said DeMbare and Highlanders should brace for the worst and need to seek new sponsorship deals elsewhere.

“The bank has not been performing well since it was acquired by its new owners. It has been making losses until this year when it started showing signs of recovery. But chances are high that they may not renew the contract under such circumstances. Business is down.

“There is also another school of thought which has been pushed around that if they decide to come back then the sponsorship could be greatly reduced. It’s still not clear. “As you know the bank helped with the Adidas deal but the sale of replicas especially on the Dynamos side has been disappointing. But it’s better on the Highlanders’ side. Actually Adidas had come on the strength of BancABC’s presence. “Under normal circumstances, they would have thought twice associating with teams that lack proper accounting systems and gives little in terms of returns,” said the source.