SAFA enters into 4-year deal with Standard Bank – SABC News

South Africa’s National Men’s Soccer team, Bafana Bafana’s brand value has increased exponentially since they qualified for the FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada in October last year.
Corporate sponsors are now clamouring to be part of that journey, and one of South Africa’s largest financial institutions Standard Bank has entered into a new four-year partnership with the South African Football Association (SAFA).
It will include all national teams.
Bafana Bafana head Coach Hugo Broos emphasised the need for financial support when preparing for major events.
This partnership will also allow technical staff and players to focus on football instead of worrying about money.
Broos says, “This investment will be able to give a better formation and a better development to our players, which means that the quality of our players will increase and with that quality, certainly we will have better results, even better results than those we achieved till now.”
GENDER EQUALITY
The partnership is also dedicated to advancing gender equality and is a commitment to recognising outstanding players, while ensuring that their journeys are supported with the resources needed for long-term growth.
The National Women’s team, Banyana Banyana, missed out on a record eighth Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa) Women’s Championship title after losing 2-1 to Namibia in the final in Polokwane on Sunday afternoon.
The squad’s lack of depth was exposed, and Banayana Banyana coach believes this partnership will effectively address that issue.
Banyana Coach Desiree Ellis says, “ I think our junior teams need this more than anything, the under 20s got very close to qualifying, the under 17s are going to camp and that is the pipeline to get into the national team, and that is the reason we use the Cosafa Cup for over the last couple of years to allow players especially to play in the first level of international football.”
At its core, this partnership reflects a shared vision to champion inclusivity, elevate performance, and secure a sustainable future for football in the country, investing not only in the game but also in the people who make it extraordinary.
SUPPORT
Standard Bank Head of Brand Experience Yolisa Koza says they will ensure the teams have the support needed to achieve success.
Koza says, “We’re driven by football, we’re driven by growth and the performance of the teams, and we’re driven by uniting South Africa and the continent. As Banyana Banyana prepare for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and the FIFA Women’s World Cup next year, and Bafana sets their sights on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, our message is simple and our message is clear: Standard Bank stands firmly behind you. The nation stands firmly behind you.”
Banyana Banyana are off to the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco later this month, while Bafana will participate in their first FIFA World Cup in 16 years, when they compete on the global stage in the Americas in June and July.
Reporting by Lenay Booysen.

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