VAR coming to PSL
Proposal will be submitted to Safa CEO, who will forward it to the football governing body for deliberation
● It would cost around R2m to train match officials on the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and have them equipped to use the technology, according to South African Football Association (Safa) referees head Abdul Ebrahim.
He told the Sunday Times his committee would “in a few weeks’ time submit the costing for the plan to get training in motion”, to get VAR in operation in the country in the 2024-25 season.
The proposal will be submitted to Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao who will forward it to the football governing body for deliberation. “It will cost around R1.2m and R1.5m to train 16 to 20 officials in 10 to 12 days of extensive training. These will include match officials and replay operators,” said Ebrahim.
“We need to factor in bringing a Confederation of African Football (Caf) and/or a Fifa official to oversee the entire VAR training programme, just to ensure the protocols are observed.
“We will put through the final proposal as to the budget, and it will be submitted in the next few weeks to the bosses at Safa and at the PSL [Premier Soccer League]. We need to get the training going. Once all the necessary approvals are in place, we are keeping fingers crossed that we can have it for the 202425 season.”
Ebrahim named three companies that could come on board with technical expertise to launch the programme. “We need to meet with technical providers such as Seb4vision, Media Pro, who are doing VAR for Caf, and Hawk Eye, who are responsible for reviews in cricket.
“They all come with costs that have to be factored in the budget when it is drawn. VAR may not solve all the problems but it will definitely enhance and assist referees’ decisions in our PSL.”
Ebrahim said former referees Victor Gomes and Jerome Damon are South Africa’s qualified Fifa VAR officials. Gomes is vicepresident of the Caf referees committee.
Controversial calls continue to dog the game. A week hardly passes without a controversial refereeing decision impacting an outcome of a match in the PSL. The inconsistent officiating has resulted in vociferous condemnation by coaches and increasing fans outrage.
Last week AmaZulu coach Pablo Martin complained of what he deemed a soft penalty conceded by his side in the Nedbank Cup quarterfinal match which was converted by Orlando Pirates to level the score at 1-1 before half-time. Usuthu went on to lose 2- 4.
Criticism reached a crescendo this week when Mamelodi Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena complained about a goal scored by Gabandinho Mhango. The Moroka Swallows striker Mhango was in an offside position when Sundowns defender Devine Lungu misdirected his clearing header to teammate Mothobi Mvala.
Mokwena was riled when Jelly Chavani overruled his assistant’s offside call and allowed the goal, which helped Swallows stage a comeback from 0-2 to draw 2-2.
The incidents come hot on the heels of a controversial decision when a Stephane Aziz Ki goal for Young Africans was disallowed in a Caf Champions League last-eight encounter against Sundowns.
The absence of goal line technology (GLT) left the VAR officials unable to make a call on whether the whole circumference of the ball had crossed the line, and went with the referee’s decision to disallow the goal.
“It [GLT] is a separate segment from VAR. It would be a very nice technology to have. It adds to the expense, but it will be a great enhancement to assist the VAR to make correct decisions.”
VAR was applied correctly by officials who handled the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast in January and February. But in England it continues to cause controversy, with erroneous decisions and inconsistent application by officials.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), a body that officiates across the English Football League, Premier League and Football Association competitions, has had to issue a public apology.
Ebrahim said he understood the frustration but was disappointed by assertions that the standard of refereeing in SA was poor. “When a player gets five chances and he doesn’t score any, does it make him a poor player? A ref makes 50 to 60 decisions in a game, and he gets one wrong, does that make him poor?
“We don’t have an understanding and proper interpretation of the rules of the game. Coaches who are complaining... all I am saying is, they are crying foul but they don’t talk about the many opportunities that they had and didn’t score.
“The criticism is disproportionate. We need to look at the statistics holistically, not just one error. We need to find a space on TV or print media where we can educate the public on the laws of the game, not just as they are written but as they are interpreted.”
Once all the necessary approvals are in place, we are keeping fingers crossed that we can have it for the 2024-25 season Abdul Ebrahim
Safa referees head