South Africa suffered their first defeat at the Africa Cup of Nations after falling to a narrow defeat against the Egyptians in Agadir.

One of the biggest talking points of the game was when VAR intervened to hand Egypt a penalty after Khuliso Mudau was judged to have fouled Mohamed Salah in the area.

However, Broos has since revealed that he spoke to Salah after the match and even he believed the match-winning penalty should not have been awarded.

“My opinion is that first of all first half Egypt was the better team and then second half we were the better team and the game is decided by two decisions that were not right,” Broos told the media after the match.

“The first it’s ridiculous, even Mo Salah said to me after the game that he was surprised that was a penalty and the second was a real penalty because the arm was extended on the body and the ball hit the arm,” he continued.

“But then suddenly, there’s a rule of a supporting arm what is a supporting arm so again there are so many rules now of this no penalty or penalty that people don’t know any more what to decide.”

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The tournament is to be staged in Gqeberha, South Africa from October 22-November 2 and will contain a record 14 teams, making it the largest women’s senior competition on the African continent.

Last year COSAFA used VAR from the semifinals onwards, but this time will extend that to the final round of group games too, making it nine fixtures that will have the system in place.

And the hope is that next year it will be all games, but for now there are not enough certified referees in the region to do that, something COSAFA is working hard to change.

“What is important this year is that we have gone a step forward and increased the number of VAR games at this tournament from the semifinals to include the last group stage games as well. They will all be live with VAR online,” COSAFA Referees Manager Felix Tangawarima said. “We now have enough referees certified to cover that number of games.

“But during the entire tournament, we will be using VAR as a training aid, running it in the background for the first two rounds of the group stages. This is to build the training hours that the match officials need so they can be certified.

“They will be using the system as they would normally, but it will just not be live and not affect the games.”

Tangawarima says they are well on course to have full VAR in at least two of their tournaments in 2025, and definitely the men’s senior COSAFA Cup.

“We are anticipating that next year we will have VAR from game one of every group. When it comes to the COSAFA Cup, we already have enough certified referees for that.

“We are the only zone in CAF to have used VAR for the Under-20 qualifiers (from the semifinals onwards). You can see the development stages we have done. Even CAF has agreed that we are doing more (with VAR) than what they are doing. So, I need to appreciate the support we are getting from the COSAFA leadership.”

Currently on the go in Gqeberha is a five-day workshop for referees that Tangawarima says will focus on practical VAR sessions. “The difference with this workshop is that we are not concentrating so much on theory presentations, it is purely VAR training. We will be out on the field with players simulating VAR situations for the referees to train.

“For those who are not taking part on the field, we have them in the simulator, where they will be using clips of situations to make decisions. That is a continuous process up to the end of the tournament and it enables us to certify them with FIFA.”

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The Glamour Boys conceded their first defeat in the Betway Premiership following their narrow 1-0 loss to Mamelodi Sundowns.

Ranga Chivaviro opened the scoring for Amakhosi in the ninth minute before Lucas Ribeiro Costa levelled matters in the 31st minute but it was Iqraam Rayners, who put the game beyond Chiefs with a 37th minute winner.

However, Nabi believes that Ribeiro’s goal should not have stood, as he believes the goal was offside and in another instant he felt like Castillo was fouled in what could have led to an equalising goal in the dying minutes of the match.

The Amakhosi tactician stressed his disappointment over the lack of VAR in the PSL.

“I did call the people [refs], it’s a clear offside. I’m surprised in South Africa we work without VAR,” Nabi told SuperSport TV after the game.

“It’s not possible in Tunisia, Morocco, in North Africa and a big country like South Africa, a big federation and national team and we don’t work with VAR?

“We spoke with the referee, it’s two metres offside.”

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The Glamour Boys suffered their first defeat in the Betway Premiership following their 2-1 loss to Sundowns over the weekend.

Ranga Chivaviro opened the scoring for Amakhosi before goals from Lucas Ribeiro Costa and Iqraam Rayners secured the win for the Brazilians.

The defeat saw Amakhosi drop to sixth placed on the table with six points after three games, while the Tshwane giants remain at the summit of the log with nine points from three matches.

“After we scored the first time, we started good I think. The reaction after that I think my players gave respect to Sundowns, they gave them space, time to build and attack and directly we received two goals,” Nabi told SuperSport TV after the game.

“[But] I think we had a good reaction, too many opportunities to score. But honestly I dislike losing. But this is football, it’s not every time you play good and you win but this is a lesson for my players. We have too many players without experience. But congratulations to Sundowns and goodluck to my team.

“Me I’m not happy when we don’t win, because this is the DNA of Kaizer Chiefs. Kaizer Chiefs plays good and don’t win, how possible is it to be happy? Happy for what? Kaizer Chiefs is a big club in Africa, if you don’t have the personality and character at Kaizer Chiefs, you can’t be playing at Kaizer Chiefs. I’m not happy. I dislike losing but it’s football.

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Arteta called it a “absolute disgrace” and embarrassing that VAR decided not to disallow Anthony Gordon’s goal in the 1-0 loss at St. James’ Park earlier this month.

“Mikel Arteta has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3.1 following comments that he made in media interviews after Arsenal’s Premier League game against Newcastle United on Saturday, November 4,” an FA statement said on Thursday.

“It’s alleged that his comments constitute misconduct as they are insulting towards match officials and/or detrimental to the game and/or bring the game into disrepute.”

VAR examined whether Joelinton had fouled Arsenal defender Gabriel, if Gordon had been offside, and if the ball had left the play before Joe Willock’s cross.

Despite the fact that Joelinton clearly shoved Gabriel in the back and the ball seemed to have gone out, all three decisions went in Newcastle’s favour.

Arteta could not hide his anger after the match, saying: “You have to talk about how the hell did this goal stand up? Incredible. I feel embarrassed.

“I have to now come in here and try to defend the club and please ask for help because it’s an absolute disgrace that this goal is allowed. An absolute disgrace.”

The day after their manager’s outburst, Arsenal released a statement claiming that the team “wholeheartedly” backed the Spaniard.

“The Premier League is the best league in the world with the best players, coaches and supporters, all of whom deserve better,” said the statement.

“PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) urgently needs to address the standard of officiating and focus on action which moves us all on from retrospective analysis, attempted explanations and apologies.”

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Gordon’s close-range goal in the second half at St. James’ Park gave Arsenal their first Premier League defeat of the season.

However, Arsenal was furious about the goal and insisted that Joelinton’s challenge on Gabriel should have resulted in a goal disallowed.

As the two contested Joe Willock’s cross, Joelinton seemed to shove Arsenal defender Gabriel in the back, allowing Gordon to score almost on the goal line.

Following a protracted VAR review, it was decided that there had been no foul; Arsenal’s argument that the ball had left the pitch before Willock crossed it was also rejected, as were Gordon’s claims that he was offside.

“The result should not be what it is. Embarrassing what happened, how this goal stands, in the Premier League, this league we say is the best in the world,” Arteta said.

“I’ve been 20 years in this country and now I feel ashamed. It’s a disgrace and there’s too much at stake here.”

After suffering a miserable few days following their Wednesday League Cup elimination by West Ham, Arsenal’s second loss of the week dealt a severe blow to their title hopes.

However, Arteta was left with a bad taste due to the contentious nature of the loss.

“We are trying to do incredible things and be at the highest level each week. We didn’t deserve to lose the match. We lost because of the clear and obvious decisions,” Arteta said after Arsenal failed to score for the first time in all competitions this season.

“There’s so much at stake, we put so many hours. The margins are so small. It’s a disgrace. That’s how I feel and how everyone feels in that dressing room.

“You cannot imagine the amount of messages I got saying this cannot continue. I have to be here now to say it is not acceptable.”

Arsenal’s chances of winning the title may be seriously jeopardised by the outcome, which has dropped them three points behind Manchester City.

“I don’t know how to feel. I am wasting my time. We are wasting our time. I don’t want to be in the hands of people,” Arteta said.

“It’s difficult enough to compete against this team. It cannot continue. There’s too much at stake. The consequences are too big.”

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Due to a mistake by VAR operator Darren England, Liverpool should have scored the first goal in their 2-1 loss at Tottenham last weekend.

The defenders on the pitch thought Luis Diaz’s shot was onside, but England thought they had made an onside call.

England confirmed that Diaz was onside before realising that he had given the go-ahead for the game to restart with the goal ruled out because of the confusion.

The Argentine manager likes the technology, but he would like to see it made easier to use.

“I trust in the VAR and how we manage the VAR. I trust in the car but the driver? That is the problem,” he said on Friday.

“For me it is about simplifying the situation. After many years seeing how things work, the most important is to return and give the power more to the referee.”

But Pochettino would rather the referee and his assistants make all other decisions on the pitch. He wants VAR to check offside and goal-line calls.

“Offside and goal-line decisions, they are the only two to keep (for VAR),” he said.

“Trust in the referee because at the moment we are not happy with VAR, we are not happy with the people that manage the VAR, but worse is we are not happy with the referee and that is the problem.

“We need to think a little bit in the future. Maybe one step back, maybe make things easier and more clear.”

Ange Postecoglou, the manager of Tottenham, admitted on Friday that the mistake meant Liverpool didn’t get a “legitimate goal.”

The Professional Game Match Officials Limited, which represents referees, said it was a “significant human error.” Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool, said a replay was the fairest solution.

The people in charge of the Premier League aren’t thinking about a replay, but Postecoglou did say that his team got lucky.

“The facts of it are that it was a legitimate goal Liverpool scored that wasn’t given,” the Australian said.

“You kind of look at why it’s not given because that’s the first thing you question: obviously something has broken down.

“It became clear it wasn’t an integrity issue. It wasn’t a misappropriation of the law. It was an error in communication, a mistake, a mistake which cost Liverpool.”

Postecoglou also asked people to be understanding of England, which gets a lot of bad press.

“It’s a significant error but it’s a human being that’s made that error,” he said.

“I don’t think that there’s anything that needs to go too far-reaching.”

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Wolves’ manager Julen Lopetegui quit less than a week before the new season, but for long stretches at Old Trafford, they were the better team.

The visitors didn’t score until Varane headed the ball in with 14 minutes left. Before that, United’s new custodian, Andre Onana, and poor finishing kept them out.

Onana was lucky that VAR didn’t step in when he punched Sasa Kalajdzic as he flapped for a cross late in stoppage time.

Wolves manager Gary O’Neil said, “It looked like the keeper almost took our forward’s head off.” “It’s a foul, in my opinion. You go for the ball and hit the player that hard as you try to get it. It is a punishment.”

O’Neil also said that Jon Moss, the head of referees for the Premier League, had called him after the game to apologise for the call.

United held on to get off to a winning start, which was a big change from Erik ten Hag’s first two games when he was in charge.

But the way United played makes it hard to tell if they can really challenge for their first Premier League title in ten years.

“There is no easy game in the Premier League and definitely not Wolves,” said Ten Hag.

“You have to fight in every game. We hope we’ll be better on the ball in the next game.”

United fans hoped that a new owner would take over before the new season started, but the sale process seems to have stopped.

The home fans again showed their displeasure with the Glazer family as owners by protesting against the Americans before the game and chanting “We want the Glazers out” at the start of the game.

Even though there is still a lot of uncertainty, the Red Devils have spent a lot of money again this summer.

Ten Hag gave Onana and midfielder Mason Mount their first starts. However, new £64 million ($81 million) striker Rasmus Hojlund couldn’t play because he hurt his back.

Wolves, on the other hand, lost Lopetegui less than six days ago because they didn’t have enough money to buy him.

O’Neil took the place of the Spaniard who had to do what he did last season to keep Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Wolves didn’t look like a team in trouble because they were in charge of the game, but they didn’t have much of an edge up front.

The best chances of the first half were missed by Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha.

At the start of the second half, Cunha got even closer. When he hit the outside of the post when the goal was wide open, the Brazilian should have scored.

Wolves’ budget has been cut because they have to pay Atletico Madrid £44 million to buy Cunha this summer.

But the 24-year-old showed why he could still be worth that much with a run through the middle of United’s midfield and a low shot that Onana blocked.

Pedro Neto was the next player to miss a great chance. He shot straight at Onana when he only had to beat the Cameroonian.

When Varane nodded in 15 minutes from the end, it was because the Wolves had wasted chances in front of the goal.

The pass from Bruno Fernandes found Aaron Wan-Bissaka, whose lofted cross found the French center-back, who headed the ball into an open net.

Wolves could have still come back to get a point that they more than deserved.

Onana blocked Fabio Silva twice with his legs before the former Inter Milan custodian messed up when he flapped at a cross and knocked Kalajdzic out of the game.

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Premier Soccer League chairman Irvin Khoza told his recent annual general meeting to expect “exciting happenings” in this particular arena, while the South African Football Association also say they are pushing the agenda.

Admittedly, hot air is, I need not remind you, something of a specialty of sports administrators, so there must be some healthy scepticism as to how and when it will be introduced.

Firstly, the overriding consideration is the cost. A fulsome roll-out of VAR across all matches in the top flight of South African football would be an expensive exercise. It must go with a television commitment to broadcast every one of the 240 league games per season. Plus, all the cup games.

Each game would need a dedicated VAR set up – a booth to view the video feeds, extra cameras, and so on.

To make it worthwhile for the PSL, it has to go in tandem with the latest graphic technology as we saw at the World Cup and that we are exposed to when we watch games from England’s Premier League.

FIFA are developing a ‘VAR lite’ with less equipment and therefore lower cost, so that the technology can eventually be rolled out worldwide, but this is not the solution for South Africa, where the PSL needs to be in line with what the major leagues worldwide do to stay relevant to its television audience.

It is, after all, the TV-rights money that provides the bulk of the club’s income.

Also, who is going to pay for VAR? SAFA oversee refereeing in this country, but they survive on FIFA handouts.

The PSL should pay, but then they will also want control over refereeing matters, which FIFA will not allow. This impasse is why professional refereeing is still a pipe dream years after its was first mooted.

The bottom line is VAR needs to be introduced into the South African game quickly, otherwise its credibility, future audience and television money is in jeopardy.

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SAFA President Dr. Danny Jordaan, who has been meeting influential football figures from around the world, recently met former referee Pierluigi Collina, with whom he discussed the possibility of inviting him to South Africa to assist in establishing the VAR structures.

Collina is currently employed by FIFA, the governing body of international football, where he is responsible for the global development of referees. From 1998 to 2003, he was named the World’s Best Referee six times in a row by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics.

South Africa has only four VAR-trained officials – Gomes, Zakhele Siwela, Akhona Makalima, and rising star Abongile Tom – and Dr. Jordaan believes that by recruiting Collina, South Africa will accelerate the long-awaited implementation of VAR. According to the FIFA Statutes, the MA has the authority to oversee and implement all Referee structures and programs.

‘’I have met a lot of influential football people globally lately and when I was in Paris (France) last week, I met among other people, Collina and Arsene Wenger who we want to tap into their expertise as we move towards revamping and taking our game to the next level,’’ said Dr Jordaan

‘’We want Wenger to help with boosting and revamping the development structures and Collina to help set up the long-awaited VAR process. These are exciting times for South African football as we are also bidding for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.’’

SAFA has recently been on the international charm offensive, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino urging the Association to take its rightful place as one of the continent’s and world’s leading organisations.

In a workshop held in Paris last week and attended by Dr. Jordaan and SAFA CEO Advocate Tebogo Motlanthe, FIFA addressed, among other topics, the need for MAs to establish viable academies, school sports, and women’s football.

‘’We are vigorously moving forward as part of our Vision 2030 and we have lined up extensive and various programmes to shape our goals. In the coming weeks, we will be calling upon all our Regions, LFAs and structures to workshop them on what FIFA directed all MAs to do,’’ added Dr Jordaan.

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