WHO WILL RESCUE THE GREEN ARMY? A rich person needs to buy Gor Mahia because the club cannot continue relying on an unrealistic community support

Michael Olunga and Abondo Ali of Goarmahia dribbles celebrate after scoring Tusker on 17-10-2015 during the match at Afraha stadium in Nakuru the match eded 2-2 PHOTO:BONIFACE THUKU

They are selling Simba of Dar es Salaam and that would be of a lot of interest to supporters of Gor Mahia. The totally broke Kenya champions have agonisingly sought financial sponsorship for the past two seasons without success. One way out of the predicament would be to sell the football club to a rich individual — what in Kenya they peculiarly like to refer as a "tycoon".

After all there are numerous examples about whom football clubs in financial quandary ought to turn to stinking rich millionaires. And it is not just out there in Europe, it is the way to go in Africa too.

Mohamed Dewji, businessman, politician, former Simba chair and iconic supporter is set to buy Simba; actually to be the controlling shareholder in a proposed consortium welcoming anyone interested in investing in the record 18-time Tanzania champions, six-time holders of the Cecafa Club Championship and 1993 CAF Cup finalists.

More moneyed Simba followers are reaching for their purses in order to join Dewji in the venture. So, Simba could be on the verge of becoming the second big Tanzania soccer club — after the Said Bakhresa family's Azam FC — to operate as a private football business.

The idea has often been floated in Gor Mahia circles but no individual known of has ever come calling with the money. What is on record is that club [supporters] rabble have been known to shout in contempt against the move; "not under our watch; keep your money!" they have been quoted.

And at times of financial crisis the hoi polloi have launched ventures of raising money often amounting to a pittance before the setting in of donor fatigue; insane economics to run such a big club with the need of a huge financial outlay.

Gor Mahia are now Kenyan Premier League champions three years in a row. Last year, the team had exciting, skilful and entertaining footballers who took it to the final of the Cecafa  Kagame Cup Club Championship and only lost to a highly professional Azam side in Dar es Salaam.
To be even merely competitive in the forthcoming [Africa] Champions League, Gor needed, let alone to keep all the players in their last season's roster — an array of players dominantly from neighbouring Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi -- but also sign more quality ones. But so far, even to hold on to forward Meddie Kagere looks futile. The Rwandese ace has said: "'ang on, show me the money!"

The trend even in Africa is of millionaire owners investing/buying out the most exciting and entertaining clubs out-rightly. It does not matter that, like Gor Mahia, that the clubs were founded by and run for decades by communal pooling of resources. That is how one of the best examples, Orlando Pirates of Soweto went into the personal ownership of the famous individual, the rich and influential Irvin Khoza, chairman also of the Premier Soccer League of South Africa.

Here is a sample of the ownership of some familiar clubs in Africa and even closer to home (Kenya): Owners (majority share holders) of: Orlando Pirates (South Africa) – Irvin Khoza since 1991. Khoza is chair of PSLof South Africa Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) - Kaizer Motaung and family (60 per cent holding). Arguably the most successful football club in South Africa and also the most supported club in South Africa and the neighbouring countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia etc. It has an estimated 16 million supporters

Mamelodi Sundowns (South Africa) - Patrice Motsepe (Mining magnate, founder and executive chair of African Rainbow Minerals, a company with interests in platinum and gold) TP Mazembe (Democratic Republic of Congo) – Moise Katumbi (businessman, Governor of Katanga Province) Vipers Sports Club (Uganda champions) – Lawrence Mulindwa (businessman, top educationist).

Buyers of these widely supported clubs have said that even though their investment was geared at creating a commercially viable venture they did not view themselves so much as the owners of the teams but as custodians of the club on behalf of its fans. Gor Mahia dearly needs such to come along if they are to exploit their potential to be one of the top clubs in Africa.

There are, however, still exceptions; of big clubs in Africa successfully administered by communal organisations. An example is the continent's biggest, Al Ahly of Egypt. It has grown to be a major football brand in Africa and no wonder it is the record eight-time champions of Africa.

Al Ahly enjoys incredible commercial success having previously had partnerships with stellar brands such as leading telecommunications firm in the Arab world, Etisalat. Al Ahly has also enjoyed corporate partnership with Chevrolet, Pepsi and Egyptian beverage company, Juhayna.
A recent milestone in the club was signing a new record sponsorship agreement with Saudi Arabia's Sela Trading Company. The new deal is valued at a staggering $30 million [Sh 3 billion] over the next three years.

In return for its financial sponsorship, Sela, an electronics and distribution trading company are confident of getting, through Egypt's oldest football club (108 years, founded April 24 1907) considerable exposure in Egyptian media. With Al Ahly constantly involved in continental competitions, Sela can count on scoring significant mileage across the rest of Africa, the Middle East and the wider Arab world where the club has an immense following.

Al Ahly's financial might is just one of the monumental hurdles clubs like Gor Mahia have to contend with when they, like early this year, attempt to make an impact in the CAF Champions League.

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Other notable football club ownerships:

Manchester United – Malcom Glazer & Family (98%)

Manchester City – Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan bin Zayed bin Khalifa Al Nahyan

Liverpool - John W Henry & Fenway Sports Group, an American sports investment company owning the Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox Hull City – [Egyptian-born] Assem Allam