FOOTBALL UPDATE: VAR "PROBABLY NOT" READY FOR THE START OF THE 2026/27 BETWAY PREMIERSHIP SEASON

South African football fans will have to wait longer for the introduction of technology on the pitch. SAFA Head of Referees, Abdul Ebrahim, has confirmed that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will "probably not" be ready to roll out when the 2026/27 Betway Premiership season kicks off.

This comes despite recent positive news from the Minister of Sports, Arts and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, who confirmed that the government had already provided the necessary funding to SAFA for this exact campaign.

Key Details on the Delay:

• Awaiting Leadership Nod: Ebrahim clarified that while the government funding and the general will to implement the technology are secure, the department is still waiting for official approval from SAFA’s National Executive Committee (NEC) before they can take the next steps.

• Training Bottleneck: Official training sessions for local match officials cannot commence until the executive leadership officially signs off on the project plan. 

• Latter Stages Target: If the approvals and training progress smoothly, Ebrahim indicated that the league might see VAR introduced mid-season or during the latter stages of the 2026/27 campaign, rather than at the start. 

A dedicated VAR project team is currently in place, and a comprehensive media briefing is expected soon to outline the precise timeline and full integration steps across the domestic leagues.

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Do you think the delay in rolling out VAR will negatively affect the standard of officiating in the opening months of the new Betway Premiership season?

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