Legendary Nigerian footballer and former Tremendous Eagles captain, Austin Okocha, has jokingly stirred up the talk about utilizing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) expertise within the Nigeria Skilled Soccer League (NPFL).
VAR is a system designed to help referees in making essential choices throughout matches, together with these associated to fouls, targets, crimson playing cards, and penalties.
Okocha, noticed among the many crowd on the Mobolaji Johnson Area for the conflict between Sporting Lagos and Abia Warriors, made a gesture in direction of the sidelines within the seventieth minute, seemingly calling for VAR intervention on a foul awarded in opposition to a Sporting Lagos defender.
This incident occurred with the rating delicately poised at 3-2 in favour of the house aspect.
Whereas the penalty choice provided Abia Warriors a lifeline, Sporting Lagos goalkeeper Christian Nwoke produced a shocking save to take care of his group’s lead.
Moments later, Jonathan Alukwu – who had beforehand restored Sporting’s lead after Abia Warriors clawed again from two targets down – capped off his impactful substitute look by including one other aim to safe a convincing 4-2 victory for Sporting Lagos.
Past the sizeable crowd on the stadium, which additionally included former Tremendous Eagles star Mutiu Adepoju, the action-packed, six-goal encounter was broadcast dwell on StarTimes’ Beta Sports activities Channel, charming viewers throughout the nation.
Imaginative and prescient 2026
Apparently, the Nigeria Soccer Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau has pledged to introduce VAR expertise into the NPFL in line with a report by Punch Newspapers in December 2023.
Mr Gusau outlined a plan to ship referees overseas to check VAR implementation in established leagues, with the aim of integrating the system into home soccer earlier than the top of his first time period in 2026.
“We are going to certainly get there,” The NFF president declared throughout the NPFL administration and workers retreat in Abuja final December. “VAR can be successfully carried out in our home league, however it will likely be a gradual course of.”
In keeping with Statista.com, as of 2022, the Confederation of African Soccer (CAF) employed VAR in most nationwide group competitions.
Notably, all 52 Africa Cup of Nations matches utilised VAR, whereas solely 13 out of 61 CAF Champions League matches benefitted from the expertise.
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