Mighty Wanderers president and main sponsor Thomson Mpinganjira says although the team is moving in the right direction, they are still nowhere near the level he dreams of. The business mogul and philanthropist was reflecting on the Nomads’ progress since taking over as president and board chairperson in 2021. “Team performance is heading in the right direction, but we are far from being there,” Mpinganjira said.
“One of the things we must do on this journey is to upgrade our technical panel.” He said when he accepted to lead the club, his long-term vision was to see Mighty Wanderers compete at the level of African giants such as Mamelodi Sundowns. Mpinganjira, who has so far invested more than K2.5 billion into the Lali Lubani Road outfit, also expressed concern over the slow pace of commercialisation, saying the club is still heavily dependent on his personal funding. “There is not much progress towards any serious and meaningful commercialisation.
It is still work in progress,” he said. “Sale of merchandise is doing well, but the figures are insignificant compared to total sponsorship. They cannot yet make a meaningful impact.” He said the club’s commercialisation directorate is still searching for sponsors.
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“They are trying, and we pray for their success,” he said. Asked whether the club could survive without his financial support, Mpinganjira paused before giving a brutally honest answer. “If, for whatever reason, I stopped sponsoring the club, it would struggle.
But I believe a way forward would eventually be found,” he said. He, however, praised supporters for improved discipline and conduct at matches, though he noted that fans are yet to contribute financially to the club. “Supporters have been great in terms of morale and behaviour.
But there are still no initiatives from them towards financial contribution,” he said. Mighty Wanderers runs four teams — senior, reserve, youth and women’s — with Mpinganjira covering most operational costs, including players’ signing-on fees, bonuses, salaries and staff welfare.
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