Facebook used to lobby Econet into bankrolling soccer
This comes after Econet turned down league leaders in their quest for funding some two weeks ago. Econet, which once unveiled an ambitious five-year league sponsorship deal with the PSL five years ago, pulled out over issues it said could potentially ruin its image.
Now fans have taken their campaign to the internet through the Facebook platform, and by early morning on Thursday, 13 May 2010, 262 members had endorsed the campaign on the social site.
"God will intervene"
"The aim of this page is to encourage Econet Wireless to sponsor the Premier Soccer League and justify why they should do so," said a note by the site's administrators, former Zimbabwe international Alois Bunjira and supporters Fibion Chibengwa and Tsungai Mavambe.
"God will intervene because everyone is waiting for Econet to support football," said one fan, Francis Mandiwanzira.
While some commentators saw the campaign as a novel idea to lobby Econet into bankrolling domestic football, others saw it as blackmail aimed at forcing the company into a partnership with the domestic league.
Econet bankrolls Zimbabwe's cricket, rugby and even the last gold open championship held in the country recently.
About Dumisani Ndlela
Dumisani Ndlela is a Zimbabwean journalist specialising in business and financial reporting, with experience reporting on commodities, stock and financial markets, advertising, marketing and the media. He has previously reported from a number of regional countries as well as from the UK and Germany on commodities and regional integration. He can be contacted on ku.oc.oohay@aleldnd.
