More kicking the can on VAR in PSL: Safa boss Jordaan says SuperSport must help

The Safa president says broadcast partner SuperSport has to come on board

30 July 2024 - 15:16
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South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan during Pitso Mosimane's honorary doctorate ceremony at the University of Johannesburg on July 24.
South African Football Association president Danny Jordaan during Pitso Mosimane's honorary doctorate ceremony at the University of Johannesburg on July 24.
Image: Lefty Shivambu/Gallo Images

While the Premier Soccer League (PSL) says it is waiting for the South African Football Association (Safa) to take the lead on implementation of the video assistant referee (VAR), the association's president Danny Jordaan says funding is the stumbling block.

Jordaan said VAR will cost Safa much money and the issue now is the league's broadcast partner SuperSport, which must come to the party.

Last week, during the announcement of Betway as the new sponsor of the Premiership, PSL chair Irvin Khoza said the league was ready to trial VAR in 2022 but added they are awaiting a “signal” from Safa.

“We have been working together [with the PSL] on this project. We have already had three meetings and the issue is the broadcasters must be involved,” Jordaan said during a Kay Motsepe Schools Championship launch in Sandton on Monday.

“The broadcast element is important and that is the essence of VAR. If you don't have a broadcaster you won't have VAR. So, we have to look across all the matches and speak to the broadcaster and make sure there is adequate coverage of every element of the match.

Courtesy of Hot Sport

“We [also] have to settle on the budget. It is going to cost money and we have to agree on the budget.”

Asked if the broadcaster is the only outstanding issue, Jordaan said the cost of implementing VAR is also a challenge.

“If the broadcaster agrees then we have to look at the budget, because the PSL (Betway Premiership) plays more than 200 matches a year. If it costs R70,000 a match for VAR, you can do the calculations,” he said.

“We have to secure the funding because once we introduce VAR it must work and it must work well.”

The new season starts this weekend with the MTN8 quarterfinals, with Orlando Pirates hosting SuperSport United at Orlando Stadium on Saturday (6pm), while on Sunday Stellenbosch FC will welcome TS Galaxy at Danie Craven Stadium (3pm).

The Betway Premiership kicks off on September 14.

The Kay Motsepe Schools national football tournament will take place from September 23 to 28 and the netball finals from August 15 to 17.


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