Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa hopes to find a new sponsor before the start of the next season, which tentatively gets underway on August 24th.The team has been without a sponsor since 2022 when their sponsorship with a local gaming firm elapsed.##NAJAVA_MECA_8213797##Since then, the team has struggled financially, failing to pay their players and other staff. In the process, they have lost key players along the way, and the team’s performance on the pitch has not been consistent either.In the just-concluded season, they narrowly survived relegation by winning a playoff against Naivas.They finished 16th in the table and had to take on Naivas, who finished third in the second tier, to determine the team that secures the 18th and final KPL slot for next season.They managed to beat Collins Omondi’s men with a 2-0 aggregate scoreline under the stewardship of coach Ezekiel Akwana.Kalekwa hopes the financial situation of the club changes for the better next season and says they are in talks with a potential sponsor, hoping to secure a deal soon.”We are currently in discussions with a potential sponsor to join us,” he said at the Dandora Stadium on Sunday. “The negotiations have been promising, and the sponsor was waiting for us to secure our league position before moving forward. I’m pleased to announce that we have managed to stay in the league,” he added. “Securing a sponsor is challenging, but I’m optimistic about our progress.”’Bure kabisa’ – Sofapaka president Elly Kalekwa lambastes Zedekiah ‘Zico’ Otieno in bare-knuckle rantHe opted against giving the details of the sponsorship, saying they will only do so once everything has been concluded.“At this stage, I prefer not to disclose the sponsor’s identity. We’ll provide more details once everything is finalized and the deal is signed,” he stated.The Congolese businessman further discussed the challenges of having to single-handedly run the team from his pockets. He admitted that it has taken a toll on him. “I’ve been under a lot of pressure. This team has been in the Premier League for 15 years, solely supported by me, and it’s not easy.”Sofapaka will not have time for rest as they will immediately commence preparations for the new season, which gets underway in just over a month. They are set to lose a number of key players, meaning coach Akwana will have to go into the market in search of replacements.Sofapaka head coach Ezekiel Akwana plans to challenge for title after surviving relegation playoffs
