Zifa sticking to Umbro deal
Chronicle Sport ZIFA says it will meet Umbro this week to iron out outstanding contractual matters that led to the sportswear and football equipment supplier failing to deliver playing kit for the Warriors’ last Afcon qualifier against Congo Brazzaville last month.
The football governing body was forced to use an alternative Lotto branded kit for the Warriors and Young Warriors’ second-round Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Mozambique.
Zifa and Umbro signed a three-year deal in February and announced that the international sports apparatus supplier would provide a full consignment of training equipment, travelling gear and playing kit for all national teams, including women and various age-groups.
It was also announced that the British sportswear manufacturer would provide replica jerseys for sale.
Felton Kamambo, the Zifa president, told Chronicle Sport that they are ‘sticking’ with Umbro despite the kit supplier failing to deliver kit as well as 50 000 replicas they had assured the nation ahead of the crunch qualifier against Congo.
Kamambo also allayed fears of a lawsuit after Zifa used another kit brand.
“We’re sticking to Umbro and that is subject to sticking areas being sorted out. There are no legalities for us using an alternative kit because they (Umbro) were supposed to deliver on time. It was unfortunate that technically we only received the kit on Sunday morning, on the day of the match and according to Caf, we had to present our kit a day before the match.
“The kit which came with some replicas arrived in the country on Friday, but it wasn’t branded and had no numbers and they were only finished on Saturday and presented to us on Sunday morning,” said Kamambo.
Zifa lost potential revenue as it had anticipated to cash in on the sale of replicas before the Congo game. — @ZililoR.