WeeklySA_AdminDESPERATE: FRANTIC SEARCH FOR NEW PSL ELITE DIVISION SPONSOR IN FULL SWING AFTER DSTV’S ABRUPT TERMINATION OF CONTRACT
By Ali Mphaki
One thing certain about (Dr) Irvin Khoza is that sooner rather than later he and his colleagues will be signing on the dotted line (if its not happened already) welcoming a new sponsorship deal for the elite lucrative local premiership league.
The PSL boss is leading his charges in talks to secure a new sponsor after DStv decided to end its sponsorship of the DStv Premiership a year earlier than expected, which has left the Premier Soccer League (PSL) in a state of uncertainty ahead of the new football season.
The sponsorship deal between DStv, who succeeded Absa’s long tenure as the league’s headline sponsor, and the PSL was finalised in September 2020.
Financial specifics of DStv’s initial agreement with the PSL remain cloaked in” secrecy”,
with the league withholding financial disclosures since the 2019/20 season which was heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The contract still had a year running and was supposed to end in September next year. And this is likely to have a ripple effect and could affect the start of the much-anticipated 2024–25 season.
The uncertainty surrounding sponsorship has also delayed the announcement of the starting date of the 2024/25 season, with the league yet to release its fixtures schedule. There is less than a month to go before the new football season begins, with the date yet to be confirmed.
The PSL recently communicated with clubs, requesting them to hold off on finalising their kits pending the unveiling of a potential new Premiership logo for the upcoming season. However, title holders Mamelodi Sundowns seem not to have heeded the call as Bafana ba Style unveiled their new home-and-away kit earlier this week.
The circular had advised clubs not to use the DStv Premiership logo on the sleeves of their new kits for the 2024/25 season, until a new sponsor was found.
Reports point at several potential sponsors for the PSL, with gambling concern Betway said to be a leading candidate to replace DStv as the league’s title sponsor.
Some sources point out that if all else fail, the PSL may be forced to approach billionaire Patrice Motsepe to “save the situation”.
It is however cautioned that if the mooted approach is allowed, Motsepe who is also boss of local outfit Mamelodi Sundowns and CAF president, would have complete domination of the local football scene, a matter which could interest the Competition Board.
The two lower football divisions – Motsepe Foundation and ABC Motsepe leagues – are both sponsored by the mining magnate.
Fans and clubs alike await with bated breath to see how the “Iron Duke” will navigate his way round this challenge. Victory, it seems, is assured.
