DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA Football Federation (TFF) President Wallace Karia has outlined plans to introduce Football Video Support (VS) technology in the Mainland Premier League ahead of the 2026–2027 season, in a move aimed at improving officiating while reducing operational costs.
Karia (pictured) said the system would serve as a cost-effective alternative to Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology, which requires significant financial and technical resources. He made the remarks during an exclusive interview with ‘Daily News’ in Dar es Salaam. He said the initiative is part of wider efforts to modernise refereeing in the top flight without placing excessive strain on football finances.
“At the moment, my focus is on Video Support,” Karia said. “It provides a similar safety net to VAR but does not require heavy investment, while still allowing referees to retain control of decisions on the pitch.” He said discussions were already underway with the world football governing body FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to secure approval for the system’s introduction.
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“I have written to FIFA, held discussions with CAF, and followed closely how the system is being developed,” he said.
Unlike traditional VAR, which relies on a team of video officials continuously monitoring match footage, the proposed VS system will operate on a challengebased format led by team coaches. Under the proposed rules, each coach will be allowed four challenges per match.
When a challenge is issued, the referee will stop play and review the incident on a pitchside monitor. If the decision is overturned, the team retains its four challenges. However, if the referee’s original decision stands, the team loses one of its allocated challenges. Once all four are used, no further reviews will be permitted.
Karia said the system was designed to enhance fairness while maintaining the flow and authority of refereeing decisions. He expressed confidence that the technology could be ready for implementation at the start of the new season. “My ultimate objective, God willing, is for us to begin using the Video Support system from next season,” he said.