Safa consults Cosafa to fast-track VAR training for local referees

The South African Football Association (Safa) is consulting Cosafa to speed up VAR training for local referees, although the system has not yet been rolled out in the country. At a two-day Fifa induction workshop in Sandton, Safa sought permission to work with Cosafa’s refereeing department, led by Felix Tangawarima, who is already training eight of the 90 officials. Safa CEO Lydia Monyepao acknowledged that the association could have approached Tangawarima earlier, in 2024 or 2025. Referee training is scheduled for the second year of Safa’s three-year, R50 million plan, which includes R20 million in funding from the sports department.