After Kaizer Chiefs' controversial win over Stellenbosch FC in the Nedbank Cup, there are more external factors that prove the 'money excuse' may not be the real issue why VAR implementation in the PSL is delaying.
Notably, there were more referee mistakes in the drama-filled match than just the decisive goal scored by Chiefs to make it 2-1 in stoppage time, where goalkeeper Sage Stephens was clearly fouled.
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The incident has raised the topic of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) back to the fore, with football lovers being told that budgetary issues have been behind why the technology is taking long to be implemented.
However, it has since become clear that money has not been the real stumbling block, especially after public utterances from Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie that the government is willing to fund the training and rollout of the use of technology, even ahead of the delayed Budget Speech.
It should be a concern that SA is currently lagging behind countries such as Botswana, in terms of getting the VAR license, issued through the Implementation Assistance and Accreditation Programme (IAAP) run by FIFA, a first step before the training of match officials.
Botswana could be the first country in the COSAFA region to implement VAR after an official meeting with FIFA Football Technology Strategy department at the end of February, with VAR training sessions officially set to kick off in April.
The PSL and SAFA liaison committee for VAR implementation are also facing pressure, as match officials also need VAR licences to be selected for international matches.
"We have to get to a point where we say, 'We're doing it'. I've heard that countries like Zambia, Botswana, they are in advanced talks for the training phase now of VAR. I know in Tanzania they've also done that," former FIFA referee and VAR instructor Jerome Damon said on Radio 2000.
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"For our football's sake, we need to get to a point where VAR becomes a reality in South Africa. I have no doubt it will become, because we will start to exclude our match officials because both CAF and FIFA matches require you to be licensed with VAR and if our match officials (have no VAR), then we limit the pool of match officials who can be selected (for international matches)," he confirmed.
FIFA also held a VAR workshop in Zambia in mid-February, as a curtain raiser for the official programmes lined up.