South African Breweries have signed on as title sponsor of the Cosafa (Council of Southern African Football Associations) Senior Challenge Cup - the premier regional soccer tournament in southern Africa.

SAB Miller has agreed a one year partnership with a view to a longer deal to back the tournament, which will take place in October and November. The competition will once again be known as the Cosafa Castle Cup - its name before SAB Miller withdrew sponsorship last year.

The competition was introduced in the mid-nineties, after the end of South Africa's ostracisation from international sport under apartheid. South Africa, Zmabia, Zimbabwe and Angola have all won it three times.

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"It is just for this year as things stand at the moment, but we are looking at the possibility of extending it beyond that," said Cosafa president Suketu Patel to The Zimbabwean newspaper. "We will enter negotiations with them after the tournament is complete and look for common ground, and hopefully tie-up something more long-term."

The host country, Zimbabwe, hope to use the competition to prove its readiness to host teams and trianing camps before and during the Fifa World Cup, to be held in South Africa next June.