The technology revolution has arrived in local football, and it’s here to stay. More than ever, clubs are depending on advanced tech rather than traditional methods to stay ahead of the curve. Some of this sophisticated technology can inform clubs and head coaches which players to sign, the best formations to play and the most efficient line-ups.
This is the direction football, and sports in general, is taking. The gadgets that clubs use include GPS vests, sports cameras and computer software. Could this soon render the jobs of scouts, analysts, coaches and sports officials redundant? Almost all the PSL clubs use GPS vests to monitor the performances of the players. Footballers can be seen wearing these vests under their jerseys.
Some time ago, social media was baffled by these special gadgets. A number of progressive PSL clubs are using the technology to their advantage. Cape Town City and Stellenbosch FC confirmed they were assisted by data collected to remain competitive. City director Michel Comitis said his club was always looking to keep up with international trends.
This is the direction football, and sports in general, is taking. The gadgets that clubs use include GPS vests, sports cameras and computer software. Could this soon render the jobs of scouts, analysts, coaches and sports officials redundant? Almost all the PSL clubs use GPS vests to monitor the performances of the players.
Footballers can be seen wearing these vests under their jerseys. Some time ago, social media was baffled by these special gadgets. A number of progressive PSL clubs are using the technology to their advantage. Cape Town City and Stellenbosch FC confirmed they were assisted by data collected to remain competitive. City director Michel Comitis said his club was always looking to keep up with international trends.
Stellenbosch FC
Fellow Western Cape-based club Stellenbosch FC have been punching above their weight this season. Perhaps the club is reaping the rewards of investing in technology tools to get ahead. With 30 points from 19 games, the team is among the chasing pack in the PSL, trailing Mamelodi Sundowns. Stellies, who are part of the Stellenbosch Academy of Sports (SAS) owned by billionaire Johann Rupert, have invested in infrastructure and technology to enhance the performance of their sports programmes.
“Technology has become important in all sporting codes. There are so much data now available. “The beauty of it is that we now have the same access to information as the top clubs in Europe, such as Real Madrid, Liverpool, Arsenal and so on,” explained SAS boss Rob Benadie. “You are also able to customise the software for the club’s needs. We are using software a lot for scouting players overseas. When we want a player in a specific position, we are able to look for a player who meets the performance criteria that we are looking for,” Benadie said. “So, we do use technology extensively to try to get ahead.” The club boss confirmed that they used data from this software to recruit Venezuelan forward Juan Carlos Ortíz during the recent transfer window.
Tech in sports medicine
The medical departments of the clubs are also making good use of technology to rehabilitate and maintain the fitness of players. Team doctors, physiotherapists and biokineticists use tech gadgets and machines to rehabilitate injured players. Royal AM team doctor Singe Chonco said there were various machines that specialists used during the rehabilitation process.
“Technology is used a lot in sports medicine. An injured player will go to different specialists depending on the injury, and those specialists use various machines and equipment.
“Some of this machinery is ridiculously expensive, but they are quite effective in sports medicine,” Chonco said.
The VAR in Africa
African football has been slow to adopt the video assistant referee (VAR) technology. The premier league in Morocco was the first to use the VAR in 2019. Following that pilot, the VAR is now used in their local league, the only one in Africa to adopt this technology. The league in Ghana took steps to introduce the VAR last year, but it has not yet been implemented. For the first time in the history of a CAF competition, the VAR was used in all 52 games at the recent Afcon tournament in Cameroon.
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