A new era of officiating is on the horizon for local football as the Eswatini Football Association (EFA) revealed plans to introduce refereeing technology at the start of the 2025/26 season.
This was confirmed by EFA President Peter Simelane during the official opening of the FIFA MA Elite Referees Course held at the Technical Centre in Lobamba yesterday.
Over 25 elite referees are participating in the five-day course led by FIFA referee experts Paulo Marques and Mark Mzengo.
Simelane said the association was working closely with CAF and FIFA to ensure the latest officiating technology was made available for local referees.
“We are pushing both CAF and FIFA to ensure that we do not lag.
Refereeing has evolved and it is our duty to equip our officials with the necessary tools,” he said.
He confirmed that Eswatini would receive VAR Lite equipment before the start of the season, making it possible to implement the technology in the upcoming top-tier season.
“We understand the high cost of standard VAR systems but with FIFA introducing more affordable solutions like VAR Lite and VAR-zero. We now have a realistic opportunity to close the gap,” Simelane stated.
VAR Lite, designed for leagues with budgets constraints, requires four to seven cameras while VAR-zero can operate with just one camera.
Both versions perform the essential functions of the full VAR system.
Simelane also outlined other technologies that would gradually be introduced, including, Referee Communication Systems, wireless headsets allowing real-time communication between match officials.
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These systems could also include the Goal-Line Technology (GLT) to determine if the ball has completely crossed the goal line. Other countries use Match Recording and Playback Systems, used for post-match analysis and referee training.
Simelane further said one of the country’s top referees Letticia Viana, who officiated using VAR in CAF competitions would take the lead role in training her local colleagues on how to use the new systems effectively.
“Viana has proven herself at continental level, including at the Women’s AFCON in Morocco and the CHAN tournament. She will be a key figure in helping our referees adapt to the technologies,” Simelane said.
With the introduction of these innovations, Eswatini joins other African nations stepping into the future of football officiating. The EFA says the long-term plan includes extending technology to lower divisions once successfully rolled out in the Premier League.
Simelane then urged the referees to always practice integrity and be committed in their refereeing and always bring their A-game in every match.
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