Boost for South African referees as CAF reveals dates for VAR training

Published on by Joel Oliver

Match officials are set to benefit after the continental football body rolled out VAR Academy workshops

South African referees will get an opportunity to learn more about VAR when the country hosts the COSAFA region’s CAF VAR Academy workshop from September 11-19.

Confederation of African Football (CAF) is launching the CAF Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Academy for the 54 CAF Member Associations, a move that is aimed at elevating the standards of officiating in Africa.

This follows the successful 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which was lauded for the quality of officiating, and CAF is keen to build on that success with the innovative academy set to be rolled out between September and October 2024.

The CAF VAR Academy will train elite referees across the continent for international competitions and national championships on the use of VAR and ensure that Africa continues to produce elite referees, as seen in recent times.

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CAF to train 180 referees on VAR use

“In the last few months, CAF has had a strong bias in upskilling match officials on the usage of VAR that is why at the AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire, our officials were rated amongst the best. But it does not help having a small group, we need a big pool,” said CAF Technical Development Director, Raul Chipenda.

“Officiating plays a critical role in the development of African football, as evidently seen in the success of the recent TotalEnergies CAF AFCON. CAF actively oversees and supports a number of football development programmes and competitions across Africa and with that said, it is equally vital that match officials across Africa are adequately equipped with the latest officiating technology, means and education in order to remain on par with the existing pool of officials on the continent.”

The CAF VAR Academy, which will be attended by elite referees across CAF’s 54 member associations, will also be the first step in introducing VAR across the continent.

As part of its rollout programme, CAF will be embarking on a continental drive of conducting CAF VAR Academy workshops across its zonal unions where 180 referees are expected to be reached.

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When will VAR be introduced in the PSL?

South Africa will play host to referees from the COSAFA region as the country also gears up to introduce the technology in the PSL.

There are only four match officials trained to use VAR in South Africa and it is one of the reasons that have held up its introduction, besides the cost aspect.

”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,” said Victor Gomes, the SAFA chairperson of the National Referees Committee said in May.

“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.”

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Joel Oliver

Joel Oliver is a seasoned multimedia sports journalist with a rich background in covering diverse football stories and events in South Africa and beyond.
His extensive coverage spans subjects touching on the PSL, with a focus on the Big Three (Orlando Pirates, Kaizer Chiefs & Mamelodi Sundowns), Bafana Bafana and Banyana Banyana.