With the 2024/25 PSL season set to get underway next month, KickOff has the latest on whether the public can expect implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
The much talked about VAR is yet to be rolled out in the country, despite promises from the powers that be about it's imminent implementation.
The PSL and SAFA were confident that the review technology would at least be tested in the Nedbank Cup final last season but such plans did not take place.
What is holding back the roll out of the VAR technology in the country has much to do with the training of referees, with only three officials in SA able to operate the assistant referee monitor.
With the 2024/25 season only a few weeks away from starting, KickOff caught up with SAFA Head of Referees Abdul Ebrahim to hear where they are in their preparations for rolling out VAR.
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Abdul has revealed that training for referees is yet to start, which means the season will start without the much awaited review technology.
"No, we haven't done the training as yet. The training needs to happen first but that needs to be approved by the SAFA President [Danny Jordaan] and the Chairperson of the PSL [Irvin Khoza]," Ebrahim told KickOff.
"All the information has been submitted and we're now just waiting for the decision to come from the SAFA President or Chairperson of the PSL," Ebrahim added.
As reported by Sunday World, the joint liaison committee of SAFA and PSL have reached out to Motsepe Foundation to fund the roll out of the VAR in the country, to the tune of R30 million.
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Mining billionaire Dr. Patrice Motsepe rescued the PSL after the Foundation filled the void left by GladAfrica, who pulled out of sponsoring the National First Division ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.
The Motsepe family also sponsors the the third tier league, ABC.
KickOff has been led to believe that the VAR could only start to be implemented at least halfway through the season, if SAFA and the PSL sort out the funding issues.