McKenzie accuses two SAFA officials of blocking VAR introduction in PSL

South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie says two officials within the South African Football Association (SAFA) are preventing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology from being introduced in the Premier Soccer League (PSL).

McKenzie has increased the pressure on SAFA over the delay and says the issue is not the responsibility of association president Danny Jordaan alone. He claims some officials are benefiting from the fact that Jordaan is routinely held responsible for SAFA’s wider problems.

The minister said he had identified two people whom he believes are obstructing the VAR project, although he has not yet named them publicly.

“There are some gatekeepers there in SAFA, corrupt, that doesn’t want VAR to happen, because how do you explain your minister putting money forward and it’s not coming?” McKenzie told journalists.

“I’m telling you, when I went to SAFA, there’s two officials, I’m getting their names and I’m going to name them, that is blocking this thing. Corrupt to the core.”

McKenzie said he intended to reveal the identities of the officials, but stopped short of doing so during his latest comments.

He also indicated that Danny Jordaan should not be regarded as the reason for the continuing impasse. According to McKenzie, other figures inside SAFA are able to avoid scrutiny because attention is usually directed towards the association’s president.

“The problem you see in SAFA, there’s one problem I have picked up. All the problems of SAFA gets blamed on Danny Jordaan,” he said.

“There are people within SAFA who take advantage of the fact that people are going to blame Danny and Danny allows that.”

McKenzie says he has completed the required government procedures to make funding available for the introduction of VAR, including obtaining approval from Treasury.

He said the money had been provided so that SAFA could assess the available options, but claimed the process had not resulted in the technology being implemented.

“What is stopping this thing? What is stopping VAR? What more can I do? I have sent them with the money of the state to go and look at the different options,” he added.

“They came back, I followed the processes. I asked Treasury, can I please give this money? Treasury gave me the go ahead.”

McKenzie said the state had made significant efforts to support the project and reiterated that he believed the blockage was being caused by SAFA officials rather than Jordaan.

“The trouble I went through, but now it’s not happening. And I can tell you now, it’s not Danny. It is officials in there and that I’m never going to allow.”

He has given SAFA 21 days, after which he warned that further action or revelations could follow.

“I’m going to give SAFA that 21 days, but you must watch what happens after 21 days.”

The dispute comes as frustration continues over the absence of VAR in the PSL, with McKenzie maintaining that the required funding and governmental approval have already been secured.