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Johannesburg, 28 January 2014 - SAFA President Dr. Danny Jordaan has welcomed the news that Nike is to be the new technical sponsor of the South African Football Association (SAFA).
“Nike has agreed to support South African football, from grassroots development to the national team,” he said. “It is an important step in the restructuring process underway at SAFA.”
“Nike, together with SAFA, will design and develop football kits for the men’s and women’s South African national football teams,” he said, adding that the partnership is a vote of confidence. “It is fitting that Nike has joined forces with us just at the time when things are about to change for the better and I want to assure Nike that its faith in SAFA will prove justified.”
“Nike will provide technical support for teams at all levels, a move that Dr. Jordaan enthusiastically welcomed. “This is a significant time for South African football as we embark on a long-term programme of strengthening our structures, especially at grassroots level,” he said.
The agreement with Nike also provides SAFA with access to the Nike Football Training Centre in Soweto – a world-class training facility built by Nike in 2010.
“Access to Nike’s football training programmes will be very helpful to SAFA’s technical staff in their quest to identify and improve talented young footballers,” said Dr. Jordaan.
SAFA CEO Dennis Mumble said the five-year partnership starts on 1 February 2014.
“Nike will supply performance and training kits, and match balls to all nine of SAFA’s national football teams, including the men’s senior and women’s senior teams; men’s under-23; men’s and women’s under-20; men’s and women’s under-17; men’s indoor football and men’s beach football,” he said.
“The news bring an end to uncertainty about which company would partner with SAFA and is extremely positive because Nike is one of the most well-respected sports brands in the world.”
Nike will provide a limited edition kit for Bafana Bafana – the Men’s Senior National Team – for their international friendly match against Brasil in Johannesburg (FNB Stadium) on Wednesday, 5 March and all senior national teams competing until December 2014.
