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By Tshepo Ntsoelengoe

Football Journalist


Davids banking on Gomes to bring VAR to DStv Premiership

Davids believes having the VAR in the DStv Premiership will stop coaches from complaining about referees.


Maritzburg United coach Fadlu Davids is banking on the new South African Football Association (Safa) chairperson of the National Referees Committee Victor Gomes to bring the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to South Africa.

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Gomes was recently appointed as the chairperson of the referees committee.

Davids believes having VAR in the DStv Premiership will help improve the standard of refereeing in the Premier Soccer League (PSL). 

“I always admire professionals who go to the highest possible level and he (Gomes) refereed at the World Cup. There are coaches who talk about the referees in every post-match press conference. We hope he is the first step towards getting VAR to the country,” said Davids.

“We need VAR here to be able to again be among the top leagues in the world. At the moment that is what we are lacking. Let’s hope his appointment pushes in the first step of acquiring VAR. That will definitely improve refereeing and will improve the decisions percentage being correct.”

Meanwhile, while some of the best leagues in the world utilise VAR, there has been a recent uproar regarding the technology, which has caused a lot of debate around the world.

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Just a few weeks ago in the English Premiership, Arsenal FC were unfortunate to have an offside goal awarded against them when they played Brentford FC.

That saw the Gunners of London end up sharing the spoils with Brentford, a huge error that might cost Mikel Arteta’s team the championship title.

Lee Mason, who was officiating that game, has since reportedly to have left the officials’ body PGMOL and will no longer work on Premier League games following that error. 

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