NFF To Introduce VAR In Regional Stadiums In Nigeria

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) plans to install video assistant referees (VAR) in regional stadiums all over the country as part of continuous efforts to train and retrain officials on how to use the technology.

Note that the use of VAR found its way into football around 2014 and has since become a part of the game in all major football tournaments both in international and club football.

Interestingly, the technology is not in use in Nigeria’s domestic football league as referees in the Nigeria Professional Football League are condemned to depend on their intuition during games.

But that could change soon as the president of the NFF, Malam Ibrahim Gusau, announced that the football body plans to introduce the technology in Nigerian football starting from regional stadiums.

The president made this announcement during the National Elective Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) in Ilorin on Saturday.

Also, during the conference, Malam Sani Zubair defeated Elder Daniel Olokor to succeed Otunba Tade Azeez with 53 of the 54 valid votes cast by delegates to emerge chairman of the NRA.

In his address to the new leadership of the NRA, Gusau, who was represented at the event by Malam Muhammed Ameenu, gave the association’s new leadership the responsibility to create development plans, anticipate the future of Nigerian referees, organize, and make sure they are properly nurtured to support the development of the sport in Nigeria.

Gusau emphasized how important the adoption of VAR is to the growth and development of football while reiterating the NFF’s continuous support for the NRA in their efforts to restructure how football is played in the country.