Steve Vickers BBC Sport, Harare

Zimbabwe have signed a kit sponsorship deal with L-Sporto

The biggest-ever sponsorship deal in the history of Zimbabwean sport has been sealed between the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) and Italian sportswear company L-Sporto.

The seven-year deal in which L-Sporto will become the official kit sponsor of all Zimbabwe's national football teams is worth a total of $4.5 million in cash, kit and equipment.

L-Sporto have been given full merchandising rights by Zifa, who will benefit immediately by receiving $100,000 in cash before the Nations Cup finals.

On their part, Zifa were obliged to buy 25,000 national team jerseys from L-Sporto to sell to supporters and companies.

The Warriors had not had a kit sponsor before, and they will wear the new uniform in Sunday's friendly match against El Salvador in Harare.

"We're here to protect the Warriors brand name and we won't permit people to make money from the Warriors outside Zifa," said L-Sporto sales director Felix Sapao.

L-Sporto's sales director Felix Sapao

L-Sporto have undertaken to fund a tour for the Warriors of the Carribean and South America in May, before the start of the 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Zimbabwe will play other teams that are sponsored by L-Sporto, including El Salvador, Jamaica, Colombia and Uruguay.

In 2002 negotiations between L-Sporto and the Ghana Football Association (GFA) fell through over the requirement that the GFA buy jerseys from L-Sporto.