There are growing calls for the world football governing body, FIFA, to introduce the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup.
Group C contenders Bafana Bafana and Zimbabwe, are the latest to call for the introduction of VAR.
The calls come ahead of Tuesday’s night encounter between the two teams in a World Cup qualifying match at the Free State Stadium, in Bloemfontein.
While Bafana’s 1-1 draw match at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, Nigeira, didn’t have officiating challenges, Coach Hugo Broos still implored on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to consider using VAR given the high stakes of the qualifiers.
“For these kinds of games, I think we need VAR because it is too important. You saw that it was a good thing at AFCON because there were some decisions that you saw on VAR that they were not right, or they were right.
“We are playing for the World Cup, and I think in such a competition with such important games we need VAR. Maybe it’s a question of money, I don’t know.
“Or it is expensive, I know from my country Belgium too. Every competition game with VAR is important because one goal can decide if you go or you don’t go to the World Cup, we need it,’’ said Broos.
South African football only utilizes on field referees while nearly 60 leagues that include Spanish League, English Premier League, and US Major League Soccer have implemented VAR.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe team captain Marshall Munetsi cited the absence of VAR as one of the factors that led to their 2-0 loss against minnows Lesotho.
‘’We need VAR especially in African Football, because even to talk to the referee is a difficult thing.
“You try to ask him anything and the next thing he gives you a yellow card,’’ explained Munetsi.
Meanwhile, addressing the media last month in Johannesburg, the Chairperson of the Nation Referees Committee, Victor Gomes, said the processes of implementing VAR in the Premier Soccer League is underway.
“We need to go through the processes, go through the budgets, go through everything, it is an intense process.
“As I said, VAR is the future of football, it will help the Premier Soccer League. It will help any league in the world, and VAR is here to stay,” highlighted Broos.
Morocco, Egypt, and Algeria are the African countries who have been making use of VAR in their professional leagues.
