PSL referees still need lots of training on the laws of the game and how to implement them correctly.
Following Kaizer Chiefs’ controversial win over Golden Arrows on Tuesday night, Abafana Bes’thende coach Manqoba Mngqithi renewed the call for the implementation of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Premier Soccer League.
Mngqithi was left incensed after Aiden McCarthy’s goal was left to stand despite him scoring from what looked like an obvious offside position.
READ MORE: Mngqithi calls for VAR after Chiefs ‘offside’ win
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has already indicated that VAR is indeed coming to the PSL in the near future. But having watched competitions, including the recently concluded Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where VAR was used, I have some doubts that VAR will be the ultimate solution to match officials’ poor officiating.
Yes, the VAR will help the officials, but only if they make the correct calls. The calls for a review won’t be made by coaches or fans; they will be made by the officials. The question is, do South African match officials have the capabilities to make the VAR a success in the PSL? I doubt it.
The PSL match officials have been poor for a long time, and it didn’t come as a surprise that only two of them, Abongile Tom and Zakhele Siwela, represented South Africa at the recently concluded AFCON in Morocco. Tom did feature prominently as a Video Assistant Referee, and did a good job, I must add, but he will not be at every venue where the PSL games will take place.
By being poor, most PSL referees missed out on the chance to go to Morocco to gain valuable experience in as far as the VAR. They will then need extensive training before the VAR is introduced in the PSL.
Besides VAR training, I think the PSL referees still need lots of training on the laws of the game and how to implement them correctly.
The AFCON tournament did show that even with VAR around, if the man or the woman who is appointed as a VAR does not do their job, teams get “robbed”.
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In the final, Senegal were robbed of their legitimate goal because the VAR didn’t check it, but suddenly the VAR was about to check the Morocco penalty, which was legitimate by the way.