Innocent Chikoya Explains Why Zimbabwe Is Beating South Africa to VAR

According to former Orlando Pirates defender Innocent Chikoya, Zimbabwe’s progress towards introducing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology ahead of South Africa raises important questions about the pace of football development and the adoption of modern officiating systems in the region.

Zimbabwe is preparing to introduce VAR later this month, marking a significant step towards modernising its football competitions. The development has attracted attention, particularly because South Africa, despite having a more established football structure, has yet to implement the technology in the same way.

Chikoya has offered his perspective on the situation, explaining why he believes Zimbabwe has moved ahead of South Africa in bringing the technology into its football environment. His observations have added another dimension to the discussion about the differences in how the two neighbouring countries approach improvements in the game.

VAR has become an important feature of modern football, helping match officials review potentially controversial decisions involving goals, penalties, red cards and cases of mistaken identity. Its introduction is intended to reduce significant refereeing errors and improve fairness during matches.

For Zimbabwe, the planned debut represents an important development in its efforts to bring local football closer to international officiating standards. The technology could provide referees with additional support when dealing with difficult decisions that might influence the outcome of important fixtures.

South Africa’s position in the discussion is particularly interesting because the country operates one of the continent’s prominent professional football competitions, the Premier Soccer League. The absence of a comparable implementation of VAR has therefore encouraged questions about the factors influencing its adoption.

Chikoya’s comments have brought renewed attention to the issue, especially among supporters who expect African football authorities to continue investing in modern facilities and officiating standards.

However, the available report does not provide the former Pirates defender’s exact explanation for Zimbabwe’s progress, nor does it identify the specific challenges preventing South Africa from introducing the system. It would therefore be premature to attribute the difference to particular financial, administrative or technical problems.

Zimbabwe’s planned introduction later this month will provide an opportunity to assess how effectively the technology can operate within its football competitions.

The development could also increase pressure on other African football authorities to examine their own readiness to adopt modern refereeing technology and improve confidence in match decisions.

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