EL DORADO, OR JUST A PIE IN THE SKY?

to be associated with the game. In Zambia where many clubs are owned by companies, they see the growing passion and this makes football a good investment for them. There is increased sponsorship and marketing, bringing in more revenue. Football’s increased revenue now makes it possible for clubs to look beyond Zambia’s borders to strengthen their teams.’’

Local football agent George Deda, who has been behind the moves of Mukuruva, Jaure and Masuku, said it was all about the money.

“To me, football is about making money when a player is still able to play. If you look at it, some SA clubs pay around R50 000 (US$4 000) per month but in Zambia, you find that some clubs are paying as much as US$6 000,” he said.

But questions remain as to how the Zambian clubs can manage to run such huge bills given that the sponsorship package that is injected into the FAZ/MTN Super League is far less than what is poured into the domestic Premiership.

Last year ZESCO United received K250 000 (about US$25 720) for winning the Zambian championship, almost FOUR times less than the US$100 000 which FC Platinum pocketed for being champions here, and the comparison of these figures could be telling.

Deda suggests that the Zambian clubs are well sponsored, making them afford to pay their players US$6 000 a month, but how come the financial package which is poured into the league championship itself — in that paradise of sponsorship — is so little that the winners get just about US$25 000, which is a quarter of what the champions here get?

If US$25 000 is what the league champions can get at the end of the season, does it make sense or would it be sustainable, both in the short and long term, for the same clubs to pay their players US$6 000 each a month which means a club can spend $72 000 a year per player to try and win US$25 000 at the end of the campaign?

With clubs having an average of 25 players or 30 players, this means they can splash US$2 160 000, for one with 30 on their books, or US$1.8 million, for one paying 25 players, in wages only to try and win US$25 000 at the end of the season?

How can a player who earns about US$6 000 a month, which then translates to about US$72 000 a year in wages, then be paid K25 000 (about 2 572) for winning the Footballer of the Year award as was the case last month when Augustine Mulenga took the honours?

How is it possible that a footballer who pockets about US$6 000 a month ends up being rewarded with a cheque of K20 000 (about US$2 057) at the end of the year for winning the Golden Boot award in that Premiership as was the case with Chris Mugalu last month?

How is it possible that the best referee in a league that can afford to pay its best players US$6 000 each a month can receive K15 000 (about US$1 543) which was handed over to Janny Sikhazwe for being the best referee in that country?

How is it possible that a major sponsor like Atlas Mara, who are the parent company of BancABC, can unveil a sponsorship package of K800 000 (about US$82 304), for this year, to earn the rights of being the flagship sponsors of the champions of a league that can pay its best players about US$6 000 each a month?

How can the league, whose clubs can afford to pay their best