Premier Soccer League chairman Irvin Khoza says they are “working very hard” to seal a deal with a new sponsor for the league, as four corporates emerge to be interested to come on board.
PSL boss Khoza says while their main focus right now is to complete this term, there is hope for next season as they are negotiating with four companies, although the names of the prospective partners have been kept under wraps.
“We’ve got four companies at the moment [who want to sponsor the league],” Khoza told IOL.
“The economy is not in a healthy state, but we are trying to find the best ways to position our proposals. It is a very difficult one. Having said that, we are working very hard [towards finalising a deal].
"At the moment though our main focus is how to restart the season. Remember, we still have to finish the old season before we can say too much about the new season. Right now, we are waiting for the government to give us the go-ahead.”
The marriage with Absa officially ends at the end of June and there is a strong possibility the league will finish the season without a sponsor if the season resumes.
With some clubs needing to play nine matches before ending their campaign, the season could spill into August.
“It is a big, big problem for the clubs [finishing the season without sponsorship]. With the sponsorship ending in June, we might finish without any sponsor,” said Khoza.
That scenario will see clubs completing the campaign without their monthly grants from the PSL and this could weigh heavily on clubs that rely on that allotment for survival.
Absa cited the prevailing economic crunch in pulling out the sponsorship of the league.
With the coronavirus pandemic worsening the state of the economy, it is yet to be seen which partner would replace Absa.
A number of corporate giants are being speculated as possible PSL partners including telecommunications, insurance and broadcasting heavyweights.
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