Last week the Premier Soccer League confirmed that the Absa Premiership will, upon completion of the 2019/20 season, be no more after the banking giants decided not to renew their sponsorship contract.
This marked the end of a 13-year era for the league, which has been tipped to become the Bidvest Premiership according to several media reports in recent days.
However, Absa have reiterated that, while they are unable to pour massive millions into continuing their title sponsorship of the league, they are keen to remain attached to the PSL's football portfolio and are thought to be in discussions to take over a domestic cup.
"We love football, and I want to make that very clear. Football is a fantastic platform, which is why we were in it for so long," Absa's head of sponsorships Mtunzi Jonas tells snl24.com/kickoff.
"Economically, there was a challenge in us staying as the title sponsor for the Premiership, but as an organisation we still have a fantastic relationship with the PSL.
"Part of our discussions, and we're still communicating, is to see if there is an opportunity to continue the relationship. We don't know yet.
"The PSL's priority, as you know, is that they're trying to get teams back on the field to finish the current Absa Premiership season, and that's their focus for the minute.
"Now, where [the talks] end up and what form our relationship takes, you guys will be the first to know. But I can confirm that we are in talks with them, because we've got a relationship and we've had one for a very long time."
