In a major update for South African football, Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie confirmed on Sunday that the country is on track to implement video assistant referee (VAR) technology in the PSL.
According to McKenzie, the Fifa rules on VAR are clear: the technology must be integrated through the Safa. McKenzie revealed that his team recently met with the leadership of Safa, which has now set a clear plan in motion to bring VAR to South African football.
An advertisement will be published within the next seven days, inviting service providers to submit bids for the technology. This move signals a significant step towards modernising the officiating system in South Africa’s football leagues.
“We are committed to ensuring that VAR is introduced in line with Fifa regulations,” McKenzie said, on his social media account. “The money is available, and the necessary training for referees has also been budgeted for. With the collaboration of Safa and the PSL.”
McKenzie took the opportunity to thank both Safa and the PSL for their continued cooperation and support in getting this initiative off the ground. The implementation of VAR is expected to bring greater accuracy and fairness to South African football, reducing errors in decision-making during matches, and aligning with global standards.
With training programs for referees already in the budget, it appears that the country is preparing to take the next big step toward ensuring that its football leagues are on par with the best in the world.
VAR has been noted for controversial decisions since its first implementation abroad since 2016, when it was first used in a live fixture, but has since then been adopted by all major leagues across the world, as well as the Fifa World Cup.