THE National Bank of Commerce (NBC), in collaboration with Young Africans SC, has launched international membership cards for the club, known as the 'NBC Yanga Membership Card'.

The move is aimed at facilitating membership payments for the club's members and, thus, helping to increase revenue for the club, alias Yanga.

The launch, which brought together esteemed individuals from both the bank and Yanga, as well as some avid fans, was held in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Steven Mnguto, Tanzania Premier League Board (TPLB) Chairman, represented Wallace Karia- Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) president- in the ceremony.

During the signing of the implementation agreement, Hersi Saidi, Young Africans SC president, led the ceremony on behalf of the club, while Elvis Ndunguru, Director of Business Banking at NBC Bank, represented the bank's Managing Director, Theobald Sabi.

Ndunguru stated that, as the main sponsor of Mainland Tanzania Premier League (NBC Premier League), First Division League (NBC Championship League), and U-20 Premier League (NBC Youth League), NBC is committed to revolutionizing football in the country.

The official pointed out that to achieve this, the institution plans to invest more in various services aimed at improving the operations of participating clubs. One such service is the facilitation of membership registration.

"The card we are launching today comes with many benefits that Yanga members will enjoy, including the ease of purchasing tickets for their team's matches in the NBC Premier League, Federation Cup, and CAF Champions League through the N-Card system," the official stated.

"Yanga members will no longer need to purchase an N-Card because these cards are already integrated with the N-Card system. This card can also be used for payments at all TAMESA centers nationwide, including Ferry-Kigamboni service payments," Ndunguru pointed out.

"Furthermore, through this card, Yanga members will have the convenience of withdrawing money through ATMs worldwide, making free payments through Point-Of-Sale (POS) machines worldwide, the ease of making online payments, and the convenience of making digital payments through NBC Kiganjani and Internet Banking systems," he explained.

According to Ndunguru, the internationally standardized and secure cards will be available in various locations, including all 67 branches of NBC Bank and more than 60,000 bank agents throughout the country.

"This card not only provides Yanga members with access to their funds 24/7, both domestically and internationally but also offers several other benefits. These benefits encompass various payments such as Netflix, DStv, and Azam TV, discounted prices through NBC's business partners, state-of-the-art 3D technology for enhanced security, and most importantly, it doubles as the membership card for Yanga,’’ he added.

Hersi earlier expressed his pride in having the club partnering with the reputable financial institution- NBC Tanzania Bank, stating that this agreement will greatly assist the club in serving its members by simplifying registration and membership card issuances.

"By joining Yanga as a member through NBC Bank, members will receive a Membership Card and at the same time, they will have access to banking services. But more importantly, this card is linked to the N-Card services, so our members will have access to stadium entry services as well as transportation services," the Yanga boss noted.

He further urged NBC Bank to explore the vast opportunities within the club, thanks to Yanga's extensive membership both nationally and internationally. He was adamant he firmly believes that Yanga is an ideal club to collaborate with in the sports sector.