Put national soccer league on lease

This might not smell like a tantalizing aroma or sound like a tuneful mantra to some stakeholders in the administration of our football due to its complexity. But I insist on throwing something in a suggestion box. The local governing body, Ferwafa (Football Association – FA), and the ministry of sports should take a bold step to contemplate leasing the national soccer league and infrastructure to an investor or consortium of investors. Like I laid it in the opening statement, implementation of this idea is not as effortless as falling off a log. Yes, it is mindboggling considering the level of establishment of society’ business mindset. Yet I agree that it might be difficult to display our football as a lucrative business deal on the market floor, it is something worth studying and considering. If the national league, which forms the biggest component of the game in anyone’s language, is put in the hands of business people things will tremendously get healthier. Do not read me wrong that I am branding the current management as a malfunction or something. It is rather expressing thoughts on how we can record better and more sustainable results in the development of the game. With great reforms that have been adopted in various sectors, I am made to believe that even football can be tackled and introduced to better ways of doing business. This approach would not mean in any way that FA would be ripped off ownership of football, and therefore the beautiful game is fated to demise. Not at all. In this folder, the FA would hold a regulator’s role and ensure that the investors are not causing impairment to the growth of football and are duly abiding by the contract. Take it or loathe it, businesses running on private sector norms have always held a great posture in terms of efficiency and effectiveness. And it’s also important to acknowledge that outsourcing as managerial ingredient is a bedrock in today’s modern business – and this makes it valid here since modern football has now become an attractive business. Private investment would create a wide range of benefits to our local football. These benefits would come in the shape of improved quality on and off pitch. On pitch? Yes, we would be treated to stellar skills as teams would be motivated by a world class sense of organization that would be reflected in event management, marketing and communication, compensation plan, and many more. Off pitch? Yes, we would be treated to a whole lot of euphoria that would be an upshot from the private-sector type of creative mix, which provides supersonic hype and world class service delivery. This form of arrangement, which some might not entirely agree with, would appreciably change the Africa’s frame of mind that football or other sports disciplines cannot be run as business entities. With an introduction of this culture, we would see football clubs turning into business houses. At the end of the day, there would be a great base of employment in the country. Besides recording the employment, Rwanda would register a good number of professionals and this will greatly improve our national team. Ferwafa, at one stage, has attempted to lure sponsorship. This is appreciated, indeed. But more could be done in terms of creativity and innovation in seeking sponsorship deals. Other than targeting one big sponsor who actually often offers a drop in the ocean, there would be various packages for small scale companies to sponsor. Let it range from a telecom company to a restaurant. In the end, you will shoulder a full bag of sponsorship deals that would greatly contribute to the development of soccer. But I still insist that the management of the national soccer league be leased to an investor or consortium of investors. This way, things will be in good health. This approach, save for saving the Ferwafa’s $250,000 dollars or more from FIFA annually, will enable the federation concentrate and commit its saved resources on the academies, youth leagues and second division as a bedrock for consistency in growth of soccer. With a businessman’s creative mix, you would see more sponsors coming on board to add cash and flash in our local football – currently unsightly. You would see a lot ensekanabo@gmail.com