The cash-strapped South African Football Association will save between R15 million and R25 million in flight costs because of a five-year partnership with national airline South African Airways.
The sponsorship is a “value in kind”, according to SAA chairperson Dudu Myeni.
“We don’t sponsor in cash. We are emerging from a contract with the SA Rugby Union that ended in December. Who do we need to sponsor now? We reached out to soccer,” said Myeni during a press conference at Safa House, Nasrec, this afternoon where Safa president Danny Jordaan was conspicuous by his absence.
Representing Safa, its chief executive Dennis Mumble said the development was a “huge relief” for the federation, which has a shortfall of R200 million in its income.
“It is a huge relief for us because one of our biggest expenditure is air travel and accommodation. We spend in any given year between R15 million and R25 million just on flying all our [national] teams around.”
Mumble said the partnership was “a Bafana Bafana partnership but it does not preclude the other national teams from benefiting”.
“It is not a handout but SAA is going to get its commercial return. The sponsorship will take into account the needs of the team. The amount is going to vary but we’re not going to put a figure to it now. We will work on further detail [with SAA] what our overall needs are.”
Bafana Bafana have struggled in the past to get to some of their destinations on the continent.
“We are not going to fly on any other airline. They [SAA] will make a special arrangement in case we travel to where they don’t fly,” Mumble said.
He added that Jordaan did not attend the sponsorship sign-off ceremony due to time constraints because he doubles as mayor of Port Elizabeth.
The partnership will kick in after Bafana’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Cameroon on Saturday, according to Mumble.
“The [travel] arrangement for the Cameroon game was made long time ago.”
Bafana will fly out tomorrow morning to Cameroon for their crucial 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against the former continental champions in Limbe on Saturday.