Zungu pledges to push for VAR if elected as SAFA president

SAFA presidential candidate Zungu says he will press ahead with the implementation of video assistant referees (VAR) in South African football and will not accept excuses if delays are caused by the federation.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Zungu said VAR was essential to protecting the integrity of the game, particularly when decisions become more significant as the season develops. However, he stopped short of setting a deadline, explaining that he needed to gain a clearer understanding of the situation before committing to a timetable.

The candidate, who is challenging Danny Jordaan for the SAFA presidency, has joined Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie in calling for the technology to be introduced. McKenzie has been applying pressure on SAFA to complete the process after providing funding to help get the project under way.

“It’s very important. All of us here support one or another professional team. When the season starts, officiating is fine. But as the season progresses, as positions in the top eight and in the relegation begin to be criticised, you see some odd behaviour. If the VAR was there, such decisions would not have stood. So VAR is there to assist in situations like that,” Zungu said.

He argued that a relegation decision influenced by an officiating error could have serious financial consequences for a club, as well as damaging confidence in the fairness of the competition.

“Trust me, if you get relegated from the PSL and you blame it on VAR, you lose a lot of value. Your enterprise loses a lot of value. It’s unfair on the notion of fans and justice in soccer. We need VAR.”

Zungu also questioned why South Africa should be slower than other major football nations in adopting technology that has become commonplace in leading leagues around the world.

“In any case, in major leagues in the world, VAR has become standard. Why must we lag behind? As to how long it will take, I will be pushing for it. If the fault is on the side of SAFA, I will make sure that there are no excuses. I cannot impose a deadline or a timeline because I need to get close to the situation. But I will be on the side of those who say we need it sooner rather than later,” he added.

He said a close partnership between SAFA and the PSL would be critical to making the system work, warning that tension between the two organisations would ultimately affect football itself.

“We need to develop a much stronger relationship between SAFA and the PSL on the implementation of VAR. There’s no question about it. If there is a poor working relationship, it is the grass that suffers. The passion of football,” Zungu concluded.

The SAFA elective congress is scheduled to take place on Saturday, when the organisation will confirm its president for the next four-year term. Zungu is standing against incumbent Danny Jordaan in the contest.