The VAR technology has taken the world of Football by storm. The technology was introduced to help match referees in decision-making.
There have been erratic decisions in recent years that this technology came to address.
Even punters on betway.com.gh must have welcomed this new technology brought to help referees make more accurate decisions.
The uptake of the technology in Africa has been slow.
The technology has not been used widely in African Football. Perhaps it’s because it did not have a great start.
The biggest blow to the technology came during the CAF African Champions League.
In the controversial match, Esperance of Tunisia was playing against Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
All was well with Esperance leading with one goal until Wydad thought they had equalized only for their goal to be disallowed. The team protested the referee’s decision and demanded a VAR review.
Unfortunately, they were told the VAR equipment was not working. The players left the pitch in protest.
After a long delay, the referee awarded the match to Esperance, who were also awarded the trophy.
Such decisions affect the game with fans and bettors on Betway and other sportsbooks losing trust in the technology.
Despite that initial setback, the VAR adoption in Africa is back on track.
Morocco became the first African country to use the technology in a local league match.
The technology played a big part in the outcome of the game, which was decided by an extra-time penalty.
VAR was also used at the African Cup of Nations in 2019, held in Egypt from the quarter-final stages.
At the beginning of 2020, South Africa began discussions on the introduction of VAR.
Danny Jordaan, the South African Football Association president, released a video in February 2020, declaring their intent to introduce VAR in the domestic league.
There are increased calls for VAR with refereeing errors being brought to the spotlight. African leagues are becoming more competitive hence the demand for near-perfect decisions.
With high stakes both on the field and in sportsbooks like Betway, the African Football Associations will have to act fast.
But according to Jordaan, the local federations are not dragging their feet in this matter.
He claims that the adoption of VAR is not a matter of flipping a switch. In his estimation, the earliest South Africa can start using VAR is 2022.
The scenario remains the same in all other African countries apart from Morocco.
Furthermore, its false start dictates that the next time it is introduced, it should be perfect.
For the technology to work, there should be intensive structural improvements in the African stadia. There is also a need for broadcasters that can provide the required angles.
The continent leagues will also have to work closely with the International Football Association Board for technical guidance.
Verdict
The implementation of VAR technology is in its initial stages and has a long way to go.
African nations have to work on their infrastructure to have the capacity to implement the technology in their games successfully.
Counties that have already begun like Morocco will guide the rest.