UPL milking from Cranes’ brand - Magogo

The list of Uganda Cranes sponsors keeps bulging as the roster for the Uganda Premier League (UPL) grows thinner.
Just last month, Pay TV giants Startimes cut their six-year sponsorship ties , worth billions, with KCCA.

Yet on Wednesday, the national team lured its sixth sponsor in beverage brand Nivana water. 

At the unveiling at Fufa Complex, Fufa president Moses Magogo laboured to explain the disparity.

“When the money from sponsorships for the national team is received, it is spent across Fufa entities. This is the same way Fifa distributes the  World Cup revenues because it is the biggest business entity. 

“Our flagship brand is the Uganda Cranes and using it to attract money is ideal. We are working on other properties (league) to attract sponsors and we also push them to join league football,” Magogo expounded.

The federation president says the new deal in his new third year term in office will help him score his ‘hattrick’ agenda set he set.

“Science and technology has shown that for an athlete to perform, there has to be water, this water supply relief  will help our nine national teams.

We are living in challenging times but to attract such brands of 500m a year in kind and cash is great.”
Nivana’s shs500m three-year partnership deal signed yesterday joins a growing list that already boasts of Airtel, Nile Breweries, NIC, Bidco and EcoBank.

More sponsorship funds coming
Nivana water is a product of  Crown Beverages Limited (CBL), also the bottlers of Pepsi that sponsored the National Beach Soccer League and also foots the university football league.

“We are privileged to be part of this football journey. We have worked with Fufa before with beach soccer  and we have tasted the cherry - it is a sweet one. We have partnered with Fufa at a tune of Shs500 million and promise to continue injecting more in local football. We want to play a part in Fufa’s five year plan for football,” Timothy Luzinda, the head of marketing Crown Beverages, told Daily Monitor.

The partnership, in cash and kit, is earmarked to benefit the six national team outfits namely - Uganda Cranes, Crested Cranes , Hippos , Kobs, Cubs and Sand Cranes. 

The Uganda Cranes will return to action on October 6 against Rwanda in Kigali in the World Cup qualifiers. 

Fufa Sponsors, Partners

Airtel Uganda -         Shs10bn 
(Four years -renewed in 2017)
Nile Breweries -         Shs4bn 
(Four years -signed in 2015)
NIC Holdings -             Shs 1.5bn 
(4 years - renewed in 2019)
Bidco -                 Shs300m 
(3 years first signed in 2015)
Eco Bank -                 Shs450m 
(3 years -first signed in 2016)
Nirvana water -         Shs500m
(For three years - Sept, 2021)

[email protected]