Chicken Inn get boost

CHICKEN Inn yesterday received a major boost to their season after three companies came on board to sponsor the team, as the former champions seek to mount a late surge and overtake the pacesetters in the title chase.

The already financially stable side unveiled three sponsorship partners, with Bovie Medical Aid Scheme chipping in with $234 000 which will go towards medical cover for the players.

Other sponsors that were unveiled at a Press conference in Bulawayo are Black Shark Security Company and Zibuko Capital.

To cater for their new partners, who will have their logos printed in the team's shirts, the 2015 champions yesterday unveiled a brand new home and away kit for the remainder of the season.

Bonvie's sponsorship will provide full medical aid cover for the senior team players and executive, as well as pay gym fees for the team. They will also provide medical kits for the team's medics.

Speaking at the event, Bonvie Medical Aid Scheme representative Thembelinhe Mloyi Ncube said her company was privileged to partner with Chicken Inn.

"It is our pleasure to be associated with Chicken Inn and we wish you all the best. You will see us more often supporting in the field," she said.

Black Shark Security Company business development director, Trevor Jakachira whose company signed a three-year partnership, said they were happy to be the first security company to sponsor a top-flight team.

"We are happy to have partnered with Chicken Inn and Simbisa Brands. We are only three years old and have become the first security firm to engage with a football team. Chicken Inn is a good team and the partnership is a win-win engagement," he said.

Black Shark will sponsor the club's monthly and end of year awards to the tune of $2 000. The security firm will also offer travelling and warm up T-shirts for the players and the technical department.

Micro-finance firm Zibuko Capital will sponsor the man of the match award for all the team's matches as well as providing warm up T-shirts.

Simbisa Brands managing director Warren Meares appreciated the gestures and urged more corporates to support football.

"Its not easy to run football in Zimbabwe in this economy, there is a lot of traveling and costs from player injuries, so we need more corporates to sponsor our teams. The PSL in South Africa has a lot of talented Zimbabwean players playing there, we need to raise the local standards and be able to keep out talent here in Zimbabwe," he said.

The sponsorship will come as a boost to the third-placed team ahead of their trip to Zvishavane this weekend for an encounter with struggling Shabanie Mine, looking to further close the gap on the leading teams FC Platinum and Ngezi Platinum Stars.

Chicken Inn are nine points behind log leaders FC Platinum and seven adrift of Ngezi Platinum. They looked like surrendering the title chase a few weeks ago, but a loss of form by the two leading teams saw the Joey Antipas-coached side storming back into contention.

Castle Lager Premier Soccer League fixtures

Tomorrow: Harare City v Mutare City (Rufaro)

Saturday: Chapungu v Bulawayo Chiefs (Ascot), Caps United v Black Rhinos (Rufaro), Bulawayo City v FC Platinum (Barbourfields), ZPC Kariba v Triangle (Nyamhunga), Ngezi Platinum v Nichrut (Baobab)

Sunday: Yadah v Herentals (Rufaro), Shabanie Mine v Chicken Inn (Maglas), Highlanders v Dynamos (Postponed)