VAR To Be Used In 2023-2024 NPFL Season – NRA President

There is a possibility that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be used in some selected Stadiums during the 2023-2024 Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) season.

All parties involved in the league are gearing up for the new season which is expected to commence on Saturday, September 9.

In the forthcoming season, all is set for the Live streaming of the majority of the league games using AI cameras.

Also, earlier this year, Nigeria Football Federation’s president, Ibrahim Gusau, announced that the FA would install video assistant referees (VARs) in several regional stadiums around the country during the Nigeria Referees Association (NRA) election convention in April, which resulted in Sanni Zubair becoming NRA’s president.

Ahead of the kick-off of the 2023-2024 NPFL season, the NRA president, Sanni Zubair, confirmed that the plan to introduce the VAR is still on course.

Zubair told Punch that the implementation of VAR will further improve the effectiveness of the officials alongside the introduction of the Live streaming of most of the league matches.

“There are talks around it”, he said. “We thought we would have got it this time around but maybe before the start of the league or when the league is on. I know they are working towards it and we are aware of that and since we are going to be having our matches streamed live.”

He added, “Football is now being played with technology and we must move with the pace of the world as well. If the NFF provides VARs in some centers, it will help the performance of our referees as well.

“On our own, according to our plans, we will ensure the adequate training of our referees to meet up with the best global practices.”