The Premier Soccer League is set to implement video refereeing in this year’s MTN8 final. This will be the first time the system is applied in the history of SA football.
The MTN8 normally starts around the second week of August, with the final taking place in the second week of October.
The South African Football Association (Safa) and the Premier Soccer League (PSL) joint liaison committee previously approached Patrice Motsepe’s foundation for R30-million to be used towards implementing the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) programme and purchase
equipment.
According to world football governing body Fifa, “the VAR system is a support tool for officials and was included in the 2018/2019 edition of the Laws of the Game and was successfully used at the 2018 Fifa World Cup. It has since then been implemented in over 100 competitions worldwide.”
The team consists of the video assistant referee (VAR) and two or three assistant video assistant referees.
Safa president Danny Jordaan told Sunday World this week: “We will start implementing but we will have another meeting with the league to conclude everything. About the Motsepe Foundation providing the funds for VAR, that will be part of the briefing when we make the announcement,” added Jordaan.
The PSL has been plagued by inept and poor refereeing standards that continue to deteriorate every season.
