The VAR rollout is expected to bring Zimbabwe closer to international officiating standards The post Sakunda brings VAR to Zimbabwean football appeared first on newsday .
ZIMBABWEAN football is set for a technological upgrade after Sakunda Holdings partnered the Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) to introduce Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology at the National Sports Stadium (NSS) by year-end.
Rufaro Stadium and Barbourfields Stadium are expected to follow by March 2027, giving local football its first dedicated VAR infrastructure and potentially transforming how contentious decisions are handled in domestic competitions.
The rollout is expected to bring Zimbabwe closer to international officiating standards while giving local referees practical experience with technology now widely used by Fifa, the Confederation of African Football (Caf) and the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa).
It could also strengthen the NSS’s bid for full Caf homologation and reduce costs associated with sending Zimbabwean referees abroad for VAR training.
Zifa president Nqobile Magwizi hailed Sakunda’s support, describing the planned installation at the NSS as a major milestone for Zimbabwean football.
“In an era where technology is the in-thing across the globe, it is a huge milestone not just for Zifa but for our entire football ecosystem to have Video Assistant Referee equipment installed at the National Sports Stadium,” Magwizi said.
“We would love to have VAR across our major venues, but we are very grateful to Sakunda Holdings for partnering us in the installation of VAR equipment at the National Stadium for a start.
“This is in line with the modernisation which has taken place at the stadium, which is a vital national asset and for which Sakunda played a key role.”
Magwizi said the technology would support the NSS’s push for full Caf homologation while allowing local referees to gain experience with VAR without the expense of travelling abroad for training.
“The installation of VAR equipment will not only enhance the bid for full homologation of the stadium by Caf but will assist more of our referees to acquaint themselves with the technology without incurring the expenses of having to travel to other countries for the training,” he said.
He said VAR had become an increasingly established feature of football regionally and across the continent.
“Apart from Fifa and Caf, Cosafa has already started using VAR at its tournaments, which is a clear testimony that VAR is here to stay and it was only imperative that, as Zimbabwe, we also move in sync with the global trends,” Magwizi said.
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