Stuart Baxter Calls for Video Assistant Referee in the Premier Soccer League, Believes It Will Help Referees

• Stuart Baxter believes that the use of the Video Assistant Referee would help cut out bad decisions in the Premier Soccer League
• Kaizer Chiefs coach called for the Video Assistant Referee to be introduced after the recent Soweto Derby
• Over the years there have been numerous calls for the Video Assistant Referee to be introduced in South Africa

Kaizer Chiefs coach, Stuart Baxter, is the latest to call for the use of the Video Assistant Referee in South Africa.

Baxter made the call after the Soweto Derby, which saw two controversial goals, one was given and the other was disallowed.

Keagan Dolly saw his tight finish ruled out after the player was adjudged to be offside, while Kwae Peprah’s goal stood despite the doubt surrounding it.

While Baxter didn’t criticise the decisions, he did note that the use of VAR would help stop the number of bad decisions in the Premier Soccer League (PSL), KickOff reported.

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"VAR will help take the pressure off them, so they know that if there’s a big call, it won’t be wrong," Baxter said.

There have been numerous calls in recent years for the PSL to implement VAR. Last year Acting PSL CEO, Mato Madlala, said that introducing VAR would be extremely difficult as many of the teams did not have their own stadiums, Goal.com reported.

With most clubs not owning their own stadiums, VAR could not be fixed onto the stadiums.

“There is a project from Fifa that allows for movable VAR cameras, so we are still monitoring. As the technology is improving, maybe we might end up having that programme, but it won’t be fixed on any stadium, Madlala said at the time.

This past week has seen a few decisions given, which could have been caught had VAR been used. Mamelodi Sundowns conceded two goals in the game against Maritzburg United which were a result of bad calls, while Stellenbosch FC were also beaten by Marumo Gallants as a result of a wrong decision.

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Does South Africa need the Video Assistant Referee? Fans debate issue after controversial Soweto Derby calls

The debate about whether South Africa needs the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has resurfaced after the Soweto Derby. The game saw two controversial calls being made, with fans arguing that VAR would have been able to make the right decision.

Kaizer Chiefs went on to win the match but could have won 3-1 had Keagan Dolly’s goal stood. Dolly scored from a tight angle but the goal was disallowed as Dolly was ruled offside, Goal.com reported.

Later in the game, Kwame Peprah scored Orlando Pirates’ equaliser from close range, and fans argued that the Ghanaian should have been flagged offside and the goal disallowed, Sports Brief earlier reported.