South Africans upset over Spurs deal

Tottenham Hotspur are set to complete a threeyear £42.5 million (NZ$80million) shirt-sleeve sponsorship deal with South Africa’s government – despite the country being close to a state of emergency due to a power crisis.

For Tottenham, it is an improvement on the £10m (NZ$19m) per season they earn from their present sleeve sponsor, the online car dealer Cinch.

However, in South Africa, the deal – which will be signed in London this week – has been received with anger and shock.

The country’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is considering declaring a state of emergency over power cuts that are crippling the economy and worsening poverty, with homes and businesses plunged into darkness for up to 12 hours a day.

The opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, described the proposal as ‘‘a slap in the face of every South African whose hardearned tax will be used to sponsor a first-world football team’’.

It was noted that before voting to go ahead with the deal, SA Tourism board members raised concerns over the risk of Tottenham being relegated to a lower division during the contract, which expires at the end of the 2026-27 season.

Sleeve sponsors have been permitted in the Premier League since 2017-18.

In 2018, Rwanda, despite its reliance on overseas aid, negotiated a £10m deal with Arsenal, reportedly cited by SA Tourism as a model to emulate.

Sources at Tottenham confirmed that, from next season, South Africa will be promoted as a tourist destination on kit branding, interview backdrops and match-day advertising. The team will hold training camps in South Africa as part of the agreement.

Meanwhile, Antonio Conte, the Spurs manager, is set to miss the match against Manchester City on Monday after undergoing surgery to have his gallbladder removed yesterday.

Tottenham said Conte, 53, had been unwell with severe abdominal pain and will return ‘‘following a period of recuperation’’.