Trouble looming? Senior official serves PSL & SAFA notice on VAR implementation

Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture Gayton McKenzie has been vocal and determined to ensure that South African top-flight football has the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

The technology has been effectively used, especially in Europe, to reduce human error in matches and ensure clubs get what they deserve on the pitch. Countries in North Africa have already introduced VAR, which has helped shape their game and improve the technical and tactical approach.

Recently, the Minister confirmed that the Government released funds for the course, before eventually stating that R20 million has been wired to the SAFA accounts to facilitate the technology.

McKenzie is now expecting VAR to be fully functional in the 2026/27 Premier Soccer League, insisting action will be taken against the respective authorities if that doesn’t happen.

If there is no VAR!…

“But the timeline they have is next season – there are five games left. There’s a FIFA break happening between those five breaks. There’s a rest between the two. But when we start next year, we must start with, we shall have a commission of inquiry,” he said as quoted by SABC Sport.

“I’m saying that you must – quote me on this. If there’s no VAR, we will talk to the sponsors of this league, we will talk to the sponsors of SAFA, and we will talk to the portfolio committee.

“We will talk to FIFA, and we will then investigate what this is.

“We can’t be looking like we are a 10th world country. We are the leading the country in Africa. So there will be VAR, it must come so that we can see our teams, and when they win they must win on merit not on bad referring,” McKenzie concluded.