Referees keep missing clear red cards – please can we have VAR?
· Citizen
The painfully slow road to implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system has come into focus again following some shocking challenges that have gone unpunished at the start of the Premier Soccer League season.
Pirates and Sundowns hurt
Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder Teboho Mokoena and Orlando Pirates midfielder Sihle Nduli have both been left in the treatment room after abysmal tackles that should have seen red cards for Polokwane City’s Suprise Manthosi and AmaZulu’s Thando Ngwenya.
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For a long time in football now the studs-up, over-the-top tackle has been punishable by instant dismissal so it is inexcusable that Manthosi and Ngwenya were not given their marching orders.
Mokoena has been absent from Sundowns’ subsequent two games against TS Galaxy and Kaizer Chiefs. Nduli, meanwhile, only returned from a long-term injury against AmaZulu and has now been confirmed as out for about four months with damage to his ankle ligaments.
Mathonsi and Ngwenya have been able to play on, with the AmaZulu forward netting his fifth goal of the season in Saturdays’ 2-0 Betway Premiership win over Siwelele on Saturday.
No one wants to begrudge the 23-year-old Ngwenya his fantastic start to the season, and to his credit he has issued a public apology to Nduli. But the fact remains that he should be serving a two-match ban.
To be fair to AmaZulu, they also had a perfectly good goal ruled out for a non-existent offside in their 1-1 draw with Pirates. But that only adds to the feeling that the Premiership needs VAR as soon as possible.
Referees need VAR help
Clearly VAR is far from perfect – it is amazing how often the video evidence is looked at and the wrong decision is still arrived at. This is particularly the case in the English Premier League and it was far from perfect too at the 2026 Fifa World Cup finals.
But implemented properly, VAR in South Africa can provide much-needed help to referees. It is a difficult job and it is not always easy to make the correct decision in real time.
The South African Football Association have confirmed that they have received the money promised by government for the implementation of VAR. Now they need to get a move on.