PSL sponsorship rules Is it a level playing field?

Cape Town City showed a strong signal of intent when they announced on 1 August at the FNB headquarters in Cape Town that they had secured a sponsorship with one of South Africa’s biggest banks as their title sponsor in a three-year deal. However, the sponsorship announcement set alarm bells off in the PSL offices, with the National Soccer League (NSL) accusing the club of not seeking prior approval for the deal before announcing it. City, in turn, obtained a court order allowing them to play with the FNB title sponsor on the jersey for their opening game of the 2022/23 season against Mamelodi Sundowns, and they have sported the same jersey in subsequent games. The showdown between City and the League has shone a spotlight on the existing precepts with regards to sponsorship and whether it is aligned with the current landscape. Soccer Laduma unpacks the League’s view on sponsorships and why conflicts of interest seemingly are not a new thing in the South African topflight. In an environment where sponsorship deals are proving harder to come by, does the PSL need to relook at the rules stipulated in the NSL handbook?