The Football Association of Malawi (FAM) has said it will introduce Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Technology with the aim of improving the accuracy of refereeing decisions.
FAM President Fleetwood Haiya has said the initiative underlines the association’s commitment to developing the sport and aligning with international standards.
Haiya adds that the development makes Malawi to become one of the pioneering countries in Africa to adopt the VAR in their top-tier leagues.
On the FAM’S readiness to implement the use of the technology, he said plans are now at an advanced stage to conduct the VAR training course for referees in the country in conjunction with CAF.
He said: “Our football governing body takes great care to ensure that VAR implementation and training procedures are in line with international protocols. There has been a delay in coming up with such an advanced technology because we wanted our officiating personnel to be trained and have qualified people to be able to operate the VAR amicably.”
The VAR has already been introduced in other countries in Africa such as Morocco, South Africa, Egypt and Zambia.
Meanwhile, FAM has said it hopes to speed up the call-making process and will soon confirm when and where to conduct the VAR training sessions
As the country embraces this new era of technological advancement, soccer fans in the country remain hopeful that VAR will contribute to more accurate and fair outcomes, thereby improving the standards of football.
