Dedza Dynamos Football Club has declared a “financial crisis” in their team after the departure of Salima Sugar Company Limited which was sponsoring the Club.
The marriage between Dedza and Salima Sugar ended on the last day of the 2023 football season. The company started sponsoring the team in June 2022 before renewing the contract in 2023 to the tune of MK48 Million.
“Kindly regrettably note that we will not sponsor the Club in the 2024 Football Season,” Salima Sugar Company General Secretary, Dr Thupi said to the team during the renewal of the sponsorship in 2023.
The Club’s Administration Officer Guston Kamkosi Banda has confirmed with this Publication that they are facing financial hiccups with just a few weeks before the new season kicks off.
Banda has called on equally interested and ambitious companies, organizations and individuals to consider partnering with the club for the coming 2024 football season and beyond.
“We must admit that we have been hit hard by financial constraints,” says Guston Banda. “With the season kicking off soon, we are not even financially stable.
“Dedza Dynamos is an ambitious Club, we have done a lot since being promoted to the super league. We have been in the elite league for two seasons and we have shown potential that we can do things but without financial resources, we can’t realize our dreams.”
Dedza estimate a budget of MK200 Million in 2024
The Central Region based side, has confirmed with this Publication that they have pegged their budget this year at MK200 Million.
With MK48 Million that the Club was getting from Salima Sugar, Dedza managed to reach the quarter-finals of Castel Challenge Cup, finishing in the 7th place and qualifying for the Top 8 Cup football.
Guston said their targets can’t be reached this season with the lack of finance and they are appealing for the corporate sponsors to give them a hand.
“Football in Malawi is expensive,” he adds. “Our budget is at MK200 Million which we want to use in settling the arrears with players, signing on fee, salaries and logistics.
“We have been reaching a number of companies, we have been writing proposals but maybe there has been a mindset to say Dedza Dynamos has money, but this is not true.
“We were dying silently, but at this point we have seen it that we need to come out and let people know that we are in dire need of the financial support.
“It will be for us if we don’t get the money. Well-wishers [based in Dedza] sometimes contribute the little they have but this can’t manage to keep the Club in the elite league.
“We mostly rely on gate collections, but football is expensive, this alone is not enough for us to compete in the league and other tournaments.”
Dedza Dynamos with a financial crisis, failed to keep hold of their star players just after the end of 2023 football season.
Their top goal scorer, Clement Nyondo departed the Club to join Mighty Mukuru Wanderers while Charles Chipala couldn’t commit his future to the Club as he joined Silver Strikers. Madayi are also battling to keep their left-back, Joseph Balakasi who has been linked with rumours of returning to Wanderers.
