The South African Football Association (Safa) has finally started moves to bring the much-talked-about video assistant referee (VAR) into the local football structures.
This past weekend, the Safa Referees Department, in conjunction with the VAR Project Team, went to Spain on a fact-finding mission with regard to the implementation of the technology.
Part of the plan is for the referees, Safa and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) to undergo a trial run of the technology in the semifinals and final of the Nedbank Cup towards the end of the season around April/May.
Referees in the PSL have faced heavy criticism for poor and erroneous officiating. There has been a huge outcry for VAR to be brought to these shores and also to stay in touch with global, modern ways of professional football.
Millions thrown into VAR tech
Two weeks ago, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie revealed that National Treasury approved an initial R20-million for the roll-out for VAR technology in the new season.
The R20-million comes after McKenzie and the SA Football Association (Safa) had earlier this year revealed a preliminary figure of R80-million. McKenzie added that they may need to top up the figure with an extra R10-million, if necessary. He said he was confident that there will be VAR by the beginning of next season in the Betway Premiership.
Said Safa in a statement: “The VAR Project Team has noted the recent keen public interest and discussions regarding the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in South African football. The Department wishes to provide the clarity that the VAR project is a complex, high-priority initiative and is currently in its infancy stages of technical assessment, planning, and stakeholder alignment.”
The association also reminded anxious football followers that there was an official communication channel when it came to dissemination of information.
VAR Project Team in place
“A dedicated VAR Project Team is in place, tasked with managing the entire implementation process, which includes procurement, infrastructure development, and training. This project team is the sole, authorised body by Safa to provide official updates on the project’s progress.
“All official project developments, milestones, and necessary announcements will be communicated by the Project Team in due course through the official Safa Media Channels and planned media engagements. To ensure that everyone receives the most accurate and reliable updates, we ask the general public and stakeholders to kindly rely on official statements issued directly by Safa,” reads the statement further.
