Bosso in a fix

Dynamos and Highlanders are set for a collision course with their sponsor BancABC if they participate in the One Wallet Cup to be launched this afternoon by mobile service providers NetOne.

NetOne, who have sponsored the season opener - Charity Shield - for the past three years, will bankroll the new tournament, set to replace the BancABC Sup8r Cup on the Premier Soccer League calendar.

It is believed that the mobile network service provider is injecting at least $400 000 for the tournament.

The company's marketing department says finer details will be disclosed at this afternoon's launch.

Last years' top eight teams, Dynamos, Highlanders, Harare City, FC Platinum CAPS United, Chicken Inn, How Mine and Triangle will take part.

The PSL programme is likely to take a break this weekend to pave way for the One Wallet Cup tournament. The venues and dates for the semi-finals will be announced at the launch.

But with the tournament's rules and regulations stipulating that the participating teams wear branded kits from NetOne, DeMbare and Bosso will likely clash with the mobile telecommunication company.

The two clubs' sponsor BancABC, once barred Dynamos from wearing the Charity Shield sponsors' branded kits in 2012.

Dynamos and NetOne had a big fall-out that season during the Charity Shield match with Motor Action at the National Sports Stadium.

DeMbare insisted that they would not wear the NetOne branded kit as it would be a violation of their contract with their main sponsor BancABC.

The match almost failed to take off with officials from DeMbare, BancABC and NetOne locked in marathon meetings on the eve of the match.

In the end, DeMbare defied the Charity Shield regulations and played with their BancABC branded kit, a move that infuriated NetOne.

The cellular service provider retaliated by withholding Dynamos' purse money for winning the tournament.

Since then, the relationship between Dynamos and NetOne has been frosty and last year the Glamour Boys did not even feature in the Charity Shield.

NetOne had organised a poll for fans to vote for the four teams they would want to see play in the Charity Shield with Monomotapa, CAPS United, FC Platinum and Chicken Inn coming out tops.

With Dynamos and Highlanders enjoying the largest following in the country, it was a surprise that they failed to garner enough votes to make it into the Charity Shield top four.

The two clubs are all sponsored by BancABC and have a kit endorsement deal with German sportswear manufacturer adidas.           

Dynamos chairman Kenny Mubaiwa yesterday revealed that the Glamour Boys' position remains unchanged.

"They have invited us to attend the launch. They know our position and nothing has changed," Mubaiwa told the Daily News.

"We can only participate wearing our branded kits. Maybe if you call me after the launch then I can give more information."

Asked if they had received their prize money from NetOne for winning the 2012 Charity Shield, Mubaiwa said:

"The only person who will be able to answer that is our secretary-general (Webster) Chikengezha but he is out of the country at the moment."

Highlanders CEO Ndumiso Gumede said: "It will be a big pity if they are going to use the branded kits because it means we haven't learnt anything from the previous cases.

"We have an arrangement with our sponsor which we can't jeopardise at any cost. If there is any kit to be used then they should give a big prominence to our sponsors. There is nowhere we can jeopardise our deal for a two-week tournament."