SAFA seeks new sponsors after Puma, Absa snub

The South African Football Association (SAFA) is seeking new sponsors after it was dumped by the financial institution Absa and sportswear maker Puma, in the wake of the match-fixing scandal that rocked the association.

Puma withdrew as SAFA’s kit sponsor Thursday, citing what it called the association’s poor handling of the scandal.

“Following match fixing allegations made against SAFA along with inappropriate responses from within the football organisation (including the suspension of senior officials), Puma terminated the contract with immediate effect,” the sporting gear giant said in a statement.

However, newly-elected SAFA President Danny Jordaan Friday expressed confidence that the association would soon get new sponsors.

He said petrochemicals company Sasol has continued its long standing support for South African football by becoming the first corporate sponsor of SAFA’s Development Agency for the next three years.

The agency is tasked with implementing the SAFA Technical Master Plan, which aims to have all SAFA national teams ranked in the top three in Africa and the top 20 in the world over the next ten years.

Last December, an investigation by world soccer’s governing body, FIFA, found “compelling evidence” that four South Africa friendlies had been fixed prior to their hosting of the 2010 World Cup.