CONFIRMED: VAR implementation in the PSL imminent!
CONFIRMED: VAR implementation in the PSL imminent!
It’s been long time coming but the implementation of VAR in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) is closer than we could imagine.
And that’s the assurance by SAFA Chairperson of the National Referees Committee (NRC) and former FIFA referee Victor Gomes.
Gomes was speaking to the media, according to SABC Sport, at the COSAFA awards ceremony in Johannesburg on Thursday night.
According to Gomes, VAR will be introduced to South African football in the next few weeks if not months.
Gomes had previously hinted at plans to use VAR at this year’s Nedbank Cup final but if that doesn’t happen, chances are it will be used next season.
He admitted that there is a lot of work that needs to be done behind the scenes for the implementation and training of VAR.
However, the one thing that the team is finalising is the budgets, and Gomes reckons all will be sorted in the next two weeks.
The latest developments will come as a huge relief to the majority of fans whose teams have suffered due to refereeing mistakes in recent years.
Referees have also been suspended for their costly mistakes that left the majority of teams and fans crying.
VAR TO BE INTRODUCED TO PSL FOOTBALL SOON
“We had a meeting recently and I know that it’s on the way now. Now, we are progressing very fast. Now, we’re sitting for some budgetary cost in the next two weeks, and that’s how far we are,” said Gomes.
GOMES ADMITS SA IS NOT READY
Furthermore, Gomes made an honest admission that South Africa isn’t ready for VAR as there is still a lot of work to do.
The first step after finalising budgetary costs is to train those who will be in charge of VAR as to how it works before anything else can be done.
However, Gomes assured football fans that VAR is here to stay, adding that they don’t want to rush it and ended up making more refereeing mistakes.
“VAR is the future of football, it will help the PSL and any other league in the world. VAR is here to stay, excellent question – no, we are not ready but it is a process, we are ready to start training.
“What we want to do, we don’t want to rush something and get it wrong. We want to bring it in and do it correctly, so that everyone can trust it,” added Gomes.