Highlanders, Adidas kit deal close

Highlanders took giant steps towards sealing money-spinning deals for the importation and sale of replica jerseys when the Premiership giants met with representatives of international kit manufacturer Adidas in separate meetings in the country this week.

The deal, being funded by financial institution BancABC, is also expected to benefit Dynamos and the police outfit Black Mambas in the long term.

But for now the focus is on the Premiership's cash cows, Dynamos and Highlanders, who are also the country's two biggest clubs.

DeMbare and Bosso already use the branded Adidas kits with the BancABC logo on the front part of their jerseys.

But, more importantly, was the key meetings which the Dynamos and Highlanders management committees held with the Adidas representatives this week amid revelations too that BancABC are very keen to help the two clubs open sports shops that would sell the club's exclusive merchandise.

BancABC have committed themselves to bring a professional touch to the way both DeMbare and Bosso are run.

And it has emerged that the bank is exploring ways of partnering some selected retail outlets to sell the branded Dynamos and Highlanders replicas until each club has managed to open its own sports shop.

Although none of the parties which met this week were eager to reveal much about the deliberations, Adidas senior sports marketing manager, Adrian De Souza, who led his company's delegation to the country, confirmed the meetings.

Repeated efforts to get hold of Bosso treasurer, Odiel Nkomo, who was one of the parties who represented Highlanders in their indaba with Adidas, however, proved fruitless.