FA and Bralirwa in sponsorship talks

AS the Primus League season reaches its final stretch, Ferwafa and Bralirwa are set to engage in fresh talks over a new deal. The current three-year Rwf 335m sponsorship deal runs out in July.And, according to the president of the national football federation Celestin Ntagungira, a committee from the federation’s marketing department will be set up with a task of initiating negotiations with the sponsors about renewing the contract.“A committee from our marketing department will be set up and they will immediately commence talks with Bralirwa over a new deal.“At the moment, I cannot determine what we will ask from the sponsors or the duration of the talks but they have been our biggest partners, so I don’t think it will take long,” Ntagungira told Times Sport.A reliable source told this paper yesterday that Ferwafa will seek convince the beer and soft drink Company that the improved football standards warrant a bigger and longer term deal.“The local league Football has improved tremendously since the end of last year. Five clubs are still involved in the title race. The national team is doing fine with a top coach, the former U-20 team is on a good run in the league and fans are back in the stadia,” the source, who preferred not to be named because he is not allowed to speak on behalf of the football body, said.Many football pundits and commentators have linked this year’s league to the one of 2004 when four clubs were involved in the title race and it went down to the wire.Police top the league log with 44 points, followed by Mukura with 35, but with two games in hand. APR and Rayon Sports are third and fourth respectively, level on 34 points.