Legendary Nigerian footballer and former Super Eagles captain, Austin Okocha, has jokingly stirred up the debate about using Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).
VAR is a system designed to assist referees in making crucial decisions during matches, including those related to fouls, goals, red cards, and penalties.
Okocha, spotted among the crowd at the Mobolaji Johnson Arena for the clash between Sporting Lagos and Abia Warriors, made a gesture towards the sidelines in the 70th minute, seemingly calling for VAR intervention on a foul awarded against a Sporting Lagos defender.
This incident happened with the score delicately poised at 3-2 in favour of the home side.
While the penalty decision offered Abia Warriors a lifeline, Sporting Lagos goalkeeper Christian Nwoke produced a stunning save to maintain his team’s lead.
Moments later, Jonathan Alukwu – who had previously restored Sporting’s lead after Abia Warriors clawed back from two goals down – capped off his impactful substitute appearance by adding another goal to secure a convincing 4-2 victory for Sporting Lagos.
Beyond the sizeable crowd at the stadium, which also included former Super Eagles star Mutiu Adepoju, the action-packed, six-goal encounter was broadcast live on StarTimes’ Beta Sports Channel, captivating viewers across the nation.
Vision 2026
Interestingly, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau has pledged to introduce VAR technology into the NPFL according to a report by Punch Newspapers in December 2023.
Mr Gusau outlined a plan to send referees abroad to study VAR implementation in established leagues, with the goal of integrating the system into domestic football before the end of his first term in 2026.
“We will surely get there,” The NFF president declared during the NPFL management and staff retreat in Abuja last December. “VAR will be effectively implemented in our domestic league, but it will be a gradual process.”
According to Statista.com, as of 2022, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) employed VAR in most national team competitions.
Notably, all 52 Africa Cup of Nations matches utilised VAR, while only 13 out of 61 CAF Champions League matches benefitted from the technology.
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