10 Sep 2014

Mascom has renewed its Top 8 sponsorship with Botswana Premier League (BPL) for two years with an option to renew for a third year.

Speaking at the sponsorship launch on September 9, Mascom chief executive officer, Jose Couceiro said his company was excited at the responsibilities that the sponsorship renewal presented.

“Having achieved the objectives we set out in the beginning, we have set new objectives to achieve a comprehensive community outreach programme carried out with the teams and Botswana Premier League,” he said. 

Couceiro further said another objective was a comprehensive and an all inclusive media recognition and engagement, which means Mascom would collaborate with the media on how best to recognize their support and better profile the Mascom Top 8.

Another development, he said was the inclusion of the long term club sponsors logo on team kits and stadium branding. 

The CEO said Mascom recognised that, without the continued support of long term club sponsors and the Botswana Premier Leaugue, his company would be challenged to host a competitive Mascom Top 8.

He said Mascom had increased the travel costs for the team for each game, and for this year alone, the winner will still walk away with P1 Million, but the price money for all teams will increase, given that the team in position two will cash half P500 000.

BPL chairperson, Mokganedi Molefe urged all the participating teams in this year’s edition to give the spectators value for their money.

He said there was no doubt that all the eight teams in the competition were not there by fluke, but had earned their stripes to be there.

Molefe told the audience that in Mascom they had found a partner who bought into their vision and agreed to walk the talk with them, adding that the Mascom Top 8 was now bigger than ever and would continue to grow.

Botswana Football Association (BFA) president Tebogo Sebego said it was now crystal clear that football had found its foundation rooted in the corporate world.

He said football had its relationships that were meant to industrialise it, and what Mascom was doing was to reaffirm the position of the company as a leading cellular network provider in the country.

Sebego said Mascom leadership was seen through its partnership with football, adding that there could never be any product in the world that could deliver a message to the masses effectively as football.

According to the BFA leader, football was a game of passion and emotions but at the same time it promoted love between people.

He said Mascom was demonstrating that for a corporate sector that loved its nation, the only way to express their unconditional love was to express it through football.

Eight teams that will participate in this year’s edition are, Township Rollers, BDF XI, Gaborone United, Mochudi Centre Chiefs, Nico United, Football Club Satmos, Police XI, and Motlakase.

For the first quarter final first leg, Police XI will take on BDF XI at Molepolole Sports Complex at 8pm on October 30, the next day Friday, Motlakase Power Dynamos will host Township Rollers at Serowe Sports complex at 8pm. 

On Saturday, November 1, Gaborone United will travel to Selibe Phikwe where they will have a date with Football Club Satmos at 330pm, whereas Nico United will meet Mochudi Centre Chiefs still in Selebi Phikwe on Sunday at 330pm. ENDS