Gayton McKenzie, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, has assumed personal responsibility for the Premier Soccer League’s (PSL) video assistant referee (VAR) system.
McKenzie follows up with SAFA and the Premier League regarding VAR in the PSL.
This stems from the contentious decisions made by match officials Kamohelo Ramutsindela, Khamusi Razwimisani, and Skhumbuzo Gasa during the weekend’s Betway Premiership game between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Following the game, McKenzie posted on social media to announce that he would be speaking with pertinent parties because he thought SA football was ready for VAR.
We need VAR now
“All football-loving fans know that the time for VAR has arrived in SA football,” he wrote.
“We need VAR, and we need it now; those meetings start now because we are not a 10th-world country. I shall report back soon after meeting Safa [the SA Football Association] and the PSL this week.”
McKenzie said on Friday that he has since spoken with Irvin Khoza, the chairman of the PSL, and Danny Jordaan, the president of Safa, as well as one club in the English Premier League (EPL).
He wrote on his X page, “Safa and the PSL have both done great work in making VAR a possibility.
“We spoke with both Dr Danny Jordaan and Dr Khoza; I went over the presentation and financial requirements; and I also received a call from the team that introduced VAR to the English Premier League. We will provide a detailed report soon.”
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) authorised live experiments with video assistance for obvious errors in 2016 and trials for video referees.
The IFAB is in charge of overseeing the laws of the game.
PSL not ready for VAR
Victor Gomes, the head of referees for South Africa, stated earlier this year that the PSL is not prepared for the much-discussed VAR because of a number of reasons, including training, stadium ownership, and cost.
“We are not ready [to have the VAR in SA], but it’s a process,” said Gomes.
“I keep saying that it’s like a pilot licence; there are a certain number of hours that referees need to go through. It’s a big process.
“We don’t want to rush something and get it wrong. We want to bring it in and do it correctly so that everybody trusts it.
“But VAR is the future of football. It will help the PSL, and it is here to stay.”
