METROPOLITAN this week dumped Safa's local football associations (LFA's) and under-19 leagues in order to foster a new relationship with the South African Schools Football Association (Sasfa), Sowetan can reveal.

METROPOLITAN this week dumped Safa's local football associations (LFA's) and under-19 leagues in order to foster a new relationship with the South African Schools Football Association (Sasfa), Sowetan can reveal.

This happened after Metropolitan and Safa agreed on Tuesday to terminate a five-year contract that was due to expire in June next year.

Sowetan has it on good authority that the insurance company wants to join Sasfa who are apparently enjoying good media coverage as compared to the LFA's and under-19 leagues.

It has also emerged that Metropolitan will be launching the new sponsorship next week with Sasfa being the new beneficiaries.

Metropolitan's general manager for group empowerment and corporate affairs Christabell Kota would not confirm or deny any upcoming relationship with Sasfa. Instead she said their goal of developing players was partly achieved.

Kota said: "Our reason for pulling out of the under-19 league is the fact that the promised access to our markets did not occur."

Themba Tshabalala, Sasfa's director of competitions, denied any relationships with Metropolitan despite the fact that his federation has lost a sponsorship since the departure of Mille last year.

"We will be launching the new sponsorship soon but not with the insurance company," Tshabalala said yesterday. -Additional reporting by Sello Rabothata