FIFA has approved our VAR plans - SAFA vice-president Linda Zwane

This comes in the wake of the controversial match officiating decisions that have come under the spotlight in the opening rounds of the 2023/24 DStv Premiership season.

Speaking exclusively to SABC Sport on Friday, Zwane acknowledged this kind of officiating places them in a difficult position and the best way to respond is to urgently introduce VAR.

"It comes closer to the space of the VAR because, should we have VAR in those games, those referees were going to be assisted, so the digital era dictates that we have to move with speed around the issue of VAR," said Zwane.

"We are at an advanced stage, we have submitted our things to FIFA, who have given the green light. Now what is left is for us to do the budgeting and other necessary administrative issues and send it back to FIFA."

Zwane added the next phase is also to address the most critical part, which is training, with only three VAR-trained match officials in the country at present – Akhona Makhalima, Zakhele Siwela, and Abongile Tom. 

"One of the things that needs to be taken into account is that if everything is now fine, it will not be as if we are now going to start immediately," he warned.

"We have to train our referees and make sure that all systems are in place then we can implement VAR. But I think all the mistakes we have seen, it's a call for VAR to implemented in the country.

"We don't have a choice, we have to move with speed with that project, and I'm happy that when Victor Gomes came in, he ran with it and now it's about us just dealing with the finer details.

"Because it requires a lot of finances to implement, so we have to draw up proper budgets so that as we roll out, we know all angles have been covered."