SCOTTLAND president Scott Sakupwanya says it’s time to stop playing small. The businessman wants Castle Lager Premiership winners to pocket US$3 million triple what South Africa’s DStv Premiership champions earn arguing that only “serious money” will drag Zimbabwean football into the big leagues.
His call comes as new cash floods the local game. The newly launched Munhumutapa Challenge Cup already dangles US$1 million for its winners, a figure that dwarfs most African league prizes. For Sakupwanya, that’s just the warm-up.
“When you look at what is happening in our football, including new stadiums and the arrival of the Munhumutapa Challenge Cup, it is only fair for league winners to get US$3 million,” he told NewsOnline.
Sakupwanya believes a US$3 million jackpot would trigger a domino effect. Better prize money means better players, better coaching, and a better product. Foreign talent would flood in, local players would be forced to level up, and fans would get a league worth watching.
“If we have that kind of sponsorship, the quality of the league will improve. We will attract more talented foreign players who will compete with our local players. It will raise the bar for our league,” he said.
He insists Zimbabwe’s economy can handle it. “The current economic environment could sustain such sponsorship, making the proposal achievable.”
If adopted, Zimbabwe would leapfrog the entire continent. South Africa’s PSL champions currently take home just over US$1 million. Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia pay less. The Munhumutapa Cup’s US$1 million prize already beats what most African champions earn in their own leagues.
So US$3 million would not just raise the bar it would smash it.
The club has been on a trophy tear, recently lifting the Independence Cup and dominating domestic competitions. Off the pitch, Sakupwanya is pouring money into bricks and mortar, with stadium projects planned for Mabvuku and a sports complex in Ruwa.
“I had a dream to transform our facilities in Mabvuku. When we have our own stadium and sponsors willing to invest US$3 million, then we will be talking serious business,” he said.
But ambition meets skepticism. Critics will ask: who’s writing the cheque? While the Munhumutapa Cup has set a new local benchmark, the PSL still battles broadcast deals, low gate takings, and clubs struggling to pay basic salaries as seen with Benjani Mwaruwari’s 3-month wage delay at Highlanders.
Sakupwanya’s vision assumes sponsors line up and ZIFA delivers governance to match. Without that, US$3 million remains a dream scoreline.
Still, he’s betting big. “Bold financial investment is key to unlocking the full potential of Zimbabwean football,” he said. “With improved infrastructure, higher rewards, and stronger competition, the local game can reach new heights both regionally and internationally.”
