Minister McKenzie mobillising sponsors to fund implementation of VAR in SA

McKenzie confirmed this during an exclusive interview with SABC Sport, shortly after meeting the SAFA National Executive Committee (NEC) in Gqeberha on Friday.

He revealed that as government they are ready to put down a deposit through sponsors, to pay towards the VAR.

"We spoke specifically about VAR, we are now ready to move with VAR, we are going to put the deposit down as the department and we will then get sponsors to pay for it but we can't wait,” McKenzie said.

“From next week the ball is rolling with VAR and I want to thank the SAFA NEC for the work that they have already done in as far as VAR is concerned.”

Last week, SAFA President Danny Jordaan had told SABC Sport that they are not interested in the VAR Lite option, which some countries are implementing on the continent.

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The option they are looking for is estimated at R80 million annually, including training. McKenzie says they know that it won’t come cheap, but they have to make progress.

"Yeah, I'm a man of timelines, it's very expensive, the president of SAFA is right and we can't have SAFA alone carry the load. Soccer makes all of us happy, this is a national team,” he added.

“We as government are willing, the government of national unity will definitely put in the bulk of that money together with sponsorships, together with SAFA themselves and together with people that love football.

“We want our football to become better and VAR can make it better. Our timeline is next week we are meeting. We have no time to play here, we must lead this space and we are leading this space and next week as I said to you, we are meeting SAFA, after next week we are paying the first deposit, we are moving."

SAFA Referees Head of Department Abdul Ebrahim made a presentation to the Minister and the NEC on the progress they have made in preparing for the implementation of the VAR. 

Jordaan says now the next step is to meet with the PSL and the Ministry of Sport to work on the finer details of implementation the VAR.

"We had a good engagement with the minister, he's committed to support the implementation of VAR. We will meet now again with him and the PSL and finalise the plan for going forward but he's made the commitment that he will make sure that there is a contribution from the government. So, we are very happy about that," Jordaan said.

Questionable decisions in the Premier Division, have seen the standard of officiating being questioned in the country.

For the past two years, SAFA and the PSL have been thrashing out plans to implement the VAR but the high costs have been seen as the stumbling block to implementation.

But Jordaan now believes that the Minister’s latest input is the breakthrough.

"Yes absolutely, but one thing that's clear to him is that on our side, we've done a lot of work, we've had meetings with PSL. We've been working together on the project and we are hopeful that soon we'll see the implementation," he added.

After McKenzie had made some initial comments about the need to implement the VAR in South Africa and went ahead to have a call with the PSL Chairman Irvin Khoza and Jordaan, there were murmurs that this could amount to interference, something prohibited by FIFA.

He’s clarified again that this is not interference.

"Well, let me tell you I'm very rejuvenated, I'm very happy, I met with the NEC of SAFA, we are on the same page regarding the plans and we as government, we are not here to interfere but to support. We must support them, we are very happy, I saw their plans, I listened to their plans," McKenzie explained.