L-Sporto signs a 4-year contract with GFA

L-Sporto, a sports manufacturing company, last night, signed a four-year renewable contract with the Ghana Football Association to kit all the national teams including the national women soccer team, Black Queens as well as referees for the local premier league.

As part of the package, the company would also borne 40 per cent of the salary of the Black Stars coach for a six-month period. This would be extended depending on his performance.

Mr Ernest Thompson, Legal Advisor of L-Sporto, told a press conference in Accra on Wednesday that the contract includes a kit sponsorship of 683, 000 dollars, a free cash flow of 600,000 dollars for the four years (150,000 dollars each year) to the GFA and winning bonuses to the players during matches.

The company would also organise an open contest for Ghanaian soccer fans to propose new jersey designs for the national teams. Mr Thompson said the company is making available 256 pieces each of referees uniform, T'shirts and socks as well as 128 soccer boots. L-Sporto is also to sign a separate agreement with the Ghana League Clubs Association (GHALCA) to kit the 16 clubs in the premier league. From the beginning of next soccer season, the company intends to sponsor selected number of clubs in the premiership.

The GFA is also entitled to some percentage of the sales of replica jerseys to be sold by the company over the four-year period. Mr Kofi Poku Local representative of the company, announced that an annual soccer match dubbed the "clash of the titans" between two of Ghana's most glamorous clubs - Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko - would be organised beginning next year and the winner takes home a trophy and a cash prize of 5,000 dollars.

Mr Chris Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of L-Sporto expressed delight about the new deal and was hopeful that Ghana would qualify for the World Cup for the first and even go beyond the quarter final stage reached by Senegal.

The company is using Ghana as its main base for the African market.