Does VAR have a future in African club football

Video Assistant Referee is already five years in operation globally, having been utilized in a competitive game for the first time ever in a Dutch Cup tie between Ajax Amsterdam and Willem II on September 21, 2016. Since then, it has been adopted in major competitions both at club and international level.

Not everyone favors the technology as questions are still raised after making use of it but at least it has led to more spot on decisions than it would have if there was no VAR.

The Confederation of African Football began using VAR in last season's CAF Champions League and since then it has been used in the recently-concluded women's version of the Champions League. It will be used at the Africa Cup of Nations kicking off on January 9, 2022 in Cameroon.

This is obviously a good development for African football particularly as referees are not trusted when it comes to their decision-making. On multiple occasions, referees are believed to make decisions that deliberately favor one team over another, which draws the ire of fans and club personnel.

VAR will definitely be needed on the local scene but questions will arise about its efficiency and safety. Efficiency as regards whether the right calls will still be made despite overwhelming video evidence. As stated earlier, questionable decisions are still made despite VAR intervention in the top leagues of the world, let alone Africa, where there is very little trust in referees.

On the safety of VAR, the lives of referees are not safe as it has been seen time and time again they come under threat from fans and club administrators, not to mention the VAR room where fans can channel their anger and cause unimaginable harm to the video assistants and damage the equipment.

Speaking of equipment, installing VAR across league venues is another challenge. Many stadiums, if not most, in Africa are not up to the required international standards. It might therefore make having VAR a difficulty.

Not also forgetting the financial cost. The system, according to Yorkshire Post, costs nearly $13,000 per match and $18 million over the course of the season.

It will most likely cost more now and not every football association in Africa can afford such a fee. Indeed, the South African Premier Soccer League is not in a position to have VAR yet, with its Chairman, Irvin Khoza, admitting the cost of operating it is too high. 

“The costs implications are also a factor because there is a royalty that you pay every year for the service and there is an initial cost that goes with it,” Khoza said

“There is also a service fee that you pay every year, but more importantly is the suitability of the venues in installing VAR, which is one element, and VOL (Virtual Offside Line) and GLT (Goal Line Technology) are others.”

All these when put into context, highlights that Africa is not ready for VAR. The current realities just do not show that it is possible. If it were, then it would be a sign African football is on its way to being at par with the rest of the world but the continent is clearly behind, which is sad, considering the amount of top talent it continues to produce.

For now, VAR is only good for the CAF competitions. As for the local scene, one can only hope it will happen some day when things are ready to be done in the appropriate and justified manner. When, is the question that might remain unanswered for a very long time.