Miguel Cardoso calls for VAR after dubious officiating in Arrows win

Interview

Cardoso urges VAR implementation in PSL

Photo: Sydney Mahlangu/ BackPagePix

Mamelodi Sundowns head coach Miguel Cardoso has joined the growing list of coaches calling for the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the PSL.

This comes after Iqraam Rayners was incorrectly denied a brace in a goal that would have sent the defending champions to the summit of the Betway Premiership table in the eventual 2-1 win over Golden Arrows on Wednesday.

Cardoso likened the dubious officiating at Loftus to the officials' decision-making in their draw against Arrows last season in KwaZulu-Natal, where some of their goals were incorrectly chalked off.

“It takes me back to unfortunately very bad emotions from last year when we played away against Golden Arrows. I think you remember that match where we were also taken away several goals that we scored in a very bad memory match that in the end we drew, where in the end I said whatever will happen we would be champions and that happened,” he said.

"And what we promised is that from our side no one will take out anything from the will, the capacity, the intention, the commitment that we fight for that until the end. South Africa must choose what kind of football they want to have in the future. I don't review myself in these kind of things for sure.

"I'm not speaking about the referees, I'm speaking about the situations, I'm not addressing the referees, I'm addressing the situations that are too many. And we've been feeling that systematically and obviously also referees they have emotions and probably they understand they make mistakes and that also touches their emotions.

"This is a movement in the game that should be addressed collectively by the different agents, from the coaches to the players to the referees because I'm not judging intentions - I'm judging the situations that happen - that in the end all of them came against us, so that's what I'm putting on the table.

The Downs mentor went on to urge the urgent implementation of the VAR, stressing the importance of the technology in enhancing the quality of South African football.

“I think that the referee of today for sure he would be very happy if he could have a VAR that would help him in the decision in the first goal and the third goal that we scored, and he would be very happy because he will arrive home and he will see that penalty he gave and he will see that there's an offside before,” Cardoso added.

"And I would like to remind you that last year from the same side on this pitch, we had on the semi final of the cup a one meter offside that was not given against Kaizer Chiefs that would have allowed us to still fight until the end of the match for the result to go to the final of the Nedbank Cup. So, it's too many mistakes.

"I think the VAR in South Africa should be a reality as quick as possible of course. It can also help to regulate in which pitches matches are played because it seems that also in South Africa some championship matches are played in venues that are not on the level of the championship, of the teams, of the football that South Africa wants to have and that's very clear.

"So VAR surely is not for tomorrow, it's for yesterday. VAR implementation is a process that will take time because there's also need to educate the VAR referees, so as quick as it starts the best. And I think that when VAR comes in South Africa there are other measures that should be taken into consideration, especially the venues for the matches of course, because there are fantastic stadiums in South Africa.