MBABANE – Ubombo Sugar Football Club (USFC), formerly known as Illovo FC, has unveiled an ambitious E2 million annual operational budgets while also announcing a significant technical sponsorship deal with PRIMO Sportswear worth E873,000 over three years.
The announcements were made during a special ceremony at Ubombo Country Club. The club also unveiled its new identity following a recent rebranding aligned with changes at the company level.
Club Finance Lead and company overseer Mlungisi Mamba said the E2 million annual budget will cover key operational costs, including player wages, travel, and logistics.
The current wage bill alone stands at E900,000. Mamba highlighted that the club has introduced a dedicated marketing function aimed at increasing brand visibility and generating additional revenue streams.
In a boost ahead of the new season, USFC also signed a three-year technical sponsorship agreement with PRIMO Sportswear. The deal is valued at E291,000 per year, totaling E873,000 by May 2029. Under the agreement, PRIMO will supply full training kits, match-day kits, casual wear, warm-up kits, tracksuits, boots, bags, and other equipment.
PRIMO Head of Teamwear, Bobby Deutschmann, welcomed the partnership, noting that it aligns with PRIMO’s growing footprint in Eswatini football, having also worked with clubs like Mbabane Swallows and Nsingizini Hotspurs.
Ubombo Sugar Limited Corporate Affairs Head, Leonard Ndzinisa, explained that the club’s rebranding from Illovo FC to Ubombo Sugar FC marks a new chapter, with a clearer direction and long-term commitment to professional standards.
Mamba used the occasion to call for greater investment in local football, citing the lack of commercialization in the domestic league. He stressed that low player salaries—some earning as little as E1,000 per month—hamper performance and urged stakeholders to push for wages of at least E10,000 to professionalize the sport.
He further called on the Premier League of Eswatini (PLE), corporate partners, and government to prioritize football development, warning that underfunding threatens talent growth and league quality.
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