Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) has pledged K93 million (US$5 million) over the next five years to support football development in Zambia under a sponsorship agreement with the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ).

Under the agreement, KCM becomes an official partner of FAZ and the title sponsor of the FAZ Cup, the mining company said in a statement.

The sponsorship expands KCM’s support for football after it backed the Zambia women’s national team, the Copper Queens, during the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

KCM Board Chairman, Moses Banda, said the partnership was aimed at supporting football development and nurturing talent across the country.

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FAZ General Secretary, Charles Chakatazya, said the sponsorship would support the association’s efforts to develop the sport at national and club level.

KCM said it currently invested more than $7.2 million annually in sports development and sponsors four football clubs: Nchanga Rangers, Konkola Blades, Nampundwe United and Aguila Stars.

The company previously sponsored Zambia’s top-flight league between 2005 and 2011 and supported the national team’s preparations ahead of its 2012 Africa Cup of Nations triumph.

KCM is one of Zambia’s largest copper producers and is owned by Vedanta Resources, which holds a 79.4 percent stake, and ZCCM Investments Holdings, which owns the remaining 20.6 percent.

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