The South African Football Association (SAFA) Head of Referees Abdul Ebrahim confirmed that while full VAR use is unlikely at the start of the 2026-27 season, it could be introduced in the latter stages.
This is contingent on receiving prompt approval from the SAFA National Executive Committee, as government funding of R20 million has already been secured.
SAFA has taken a significant step by rolling out introductory VAR courses for referees at the current workshop in Pretoria, while a dedicated project team led by Daniel Bennett prepares the next phases for a full rollout expected next season after extensive training.
“With regards to VAR, as was mentioned previously, we have received, everybody is aware we have received the funding from the government with regards to that, and discussions are underway as far as the next steps are concerned,” Ebrahim said on SABC Sport.
“We have to get approval from the leadership, which is the National Executive Committee, and once that approval is received, then we can commence with our training sessions. For 2026-27, probably not.
“We could, if things go well, we could see VAR being introduced in the latter stages of the season, but obviously we have a VAR project team in place, and once they are ready to do their media brief, they will provide much more information as to what the next steps are, how long the next steps are going to take, and obviously when the full integration of VAR will be in our leagues,” he continued.
“Look, that’s the plan, but like I said, as soon as we can get the approval from the leadership, then our VAR project team will be able to speak to the media and let them know exactly what the next steps are and when we will look to implementation. That is part of the process we had to do to present to the NEC, and all the tenders that were presented, the adjudication report was submitted, and that is obviously part of the approval process.”
There was a strong sense of excitement at the referees’ workshop in Pretoria, attended by over 120 match officials including commissioners, review committee members, and SAFA refereeing leadership.
The introductory VAR sessions symbolise the technology’s imminent arrival, supported by four FIFA instructors from Egypt conducting classroom and on-field training.
