Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL) says it is negotiating with the Namibia Football Association (NFA) to see how best it can get value for money after the expiration of its sponsorship deal in June 2023.
NBL says it does not make business sense for the company to support the national soccer team without local games in the country.
The Namibian last week reported that Heineken-owned NBL pulled the plug on its sponsorship of the Brave Warriors.
NFA president Robert Shimooshili recently told Desert Radio that the NBL had cited the failure of the national team playing local matches.
“NBL sponsorship through the Tafel Lager brand is no more. The NBL lost interest simply because the Brave Warriors are playing their home games in neighbouring South Africa,” Shimooshili said.
NBL spokesperson Surihe Gaomas-Guchu said they have not pulled the plug on the national team but are rather busy with negotiations.
“As a corporate citizen, NBL has been sponsoring the national soccer team under our Tafel Lager brand for many years.
“Since the contract expired in June 2023, we have been in negotiation with NFA to partner with them under a mutually beneficial ‘win-win’ relationship for both parties, as it does not make business sense to support the national soccer team without local games in the country,” she said.
Gaomas-Guchu further said the NBL sponsored N$2 million in support of the team playing at the Africa Cup of Nations in January this year.
“… and once again shows our support for soccer in Namibia. As a proudly local business, NBL remains committed to investing in initiatives and development to instil a sense of pride in Namibians,” Gaomas-Guchu noted.
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