Technology heads for SA

The Safa delegation headed by president Danny Jordaan was afforded the opportunity of watching the introduction of technology at first-hand at the World Cup – and gauging if and when it can be introduced in South Africa.

One thing is for certain, despite the emergence of a number of hiccups, the belated introduction by football in following in the footsteps of tennis, cricket, rugby and other sports in using technology to assist match officials to avoid making errors is here to stay.

And it should now presumably be viewed as a matter of some urgency that the initial procedures in making the use of technology in South Africa will come under the microscope almost immediately.

The only obstacle standing in the way, it would seem, is the financial aspect, but if other less affluent sports have managed to overcome this hurdle it should be well within the confines of our football to do the same.

Meanwhile, the World Cup has provided evidence that Fifa still has some way to go in formulating a uniform method of taking the sport into the modern era while kicking and squealing over any minor shortcomings related to technology.

The most glaring failure of the system in Russia thus far occured in the Brazil v Switzerland 1-1 draw when the Mexican referee refused to utilise the technology apparatus made available, with the outcome that two close calls, one that should have disallowed Switzerland’s goal and the other that deprived Brazil of a penalty, ended up going the wrong way.

Referees, it would seem, can still cause consternation, even when given the assistance of technology, although this, it can be assumed, was more in the line of a teething shortcoming.

And, if not Safa, it might well be the PSL who will be better positioned to introduce technology here – and make amends for a spate of mistakes and discrepancies by referees that have marred local fixtures.