Last week, during the announcement of the Betway Premiership sponsorship, PSL Chairman Dr. Irvin Khoza highlighted the ongoing discussions regarding the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in South African football.
Khoza revealed that currently, only three officials in the country are qualified to operate VAR, indicating a significant hurdle in adopting the technology widely.
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Further elaborating on the challenges, SAFA President Dr. Danny Jordaan addressed the media on the sidelines of the K Motsepe Schools competition launch in Sandton. Jordaan emphasized that the primary obstacles are not just technical but also involve substantial financial and broadcasting considerations.
"It's not about us and them (PSL). We have been working together on this project. We already had three meetings and the final issue is clearly with the broadcasters. They must be involved because they have to bring broadcast as part of it. You look at the vast work. The broadcast is very very important and that's the access of VAR. If you don't have broadcasters then you don't have VAR," Jordaan observed.
Jordaan also pointed out the financial implications of implementing VAR across the league.
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"So, we have to look across all the matches. Speak to the broadcaster. Make sure that we have adequate coverage and finally we have to settle on the budget. It's also going to cost a lot of money and we have to agree on the budget. If the broadcaster agrees then we have to look at the budget because the PSL plays over 200 games in a year and it's costs R70 000 a match for VAR. You can do the sums. And we had to secure the funding because once we introduce VAR it must work and it must work well," Jordaan concluded.
