The South African Football Association has entered into a new partnership with kit manufacturers Le Coq Sportif, who will now be the kit sponsor for Bafana Bafana and other national football teams.

The association will be leaving Nike with the move and add a new name to the list of sponsors having already paired up with the likes of Kappa, Puma, Adidas over the years.

Now the historic French brand will be on the front of national team jersey’s as Bafana Bafana look to qualify for 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and 2022 Fifa World Cup, when qualifying does get back under way.

Roger Noades, director of Le Coq Sportif in South Africa, is delighted at the partnership with the South African Football Association, but admits that the coronavirus outbreak has hampered their plans.

Noades told SoccerLaduma: ‘We’re really excited about the deal, we’ve signed a five-year deal with Safa starting officially from June 1, however with the delays due to the virus we’re not sure when the players will get to wear it for the first time.

‘We totally believe that with a bit of French flair, we can play our part moving forward. Le Coq Sportif is one of the oldest brands in the world, it’s been going since 1882, so we’ve got heritage. We know exactly what South Africans love … I have a nine-year-old, and I’m hoping to help build South African footballing icons for him and the generations to come.

‘We’ve been here in the country for 12 years now, we know South Africans love their football, and we want to support that. We want to build those icons with Safa, with Bafana, with Banyana.’