Finidi Laments Absence of VAR in Super Eagles’ Draw with Bafana Bafana.
Super Eagles head coach, Finidi George, expressed his frustration over the absence of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) during Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against South Africa. The match, held at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, ended in a 1-1 draw on Friday.
The closely contested encounter saw Nigeria’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru equalize in the 46th minute, following an earlier goal by South Africa’s Themba Zwane. However, a clear penalty was denied to the Super Eagles when Dele-Bashiru was brought down inside the box in the 53rd minute. Additionally, substitute Samuel Chukwueze’s left-footed shot hit the crossbar, with suggestions it may have crossed the goal line.
Finidi George, during his post-match interaction with the media, highlighted the need for VAR in crucial matches. “I’m sure we all saw the AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire where the VAR was properly used,” he said. “Even the Europeans were applauding the AFCON. For me, I don’t know why in World Cup qualifiers like this, where everything counts, we couldn’t have a play or incident properly checked to know if a goal is properly scored or not.”
He continued, “Chukwueze’s cross which hit the underneath of the bar, from where I was standing, I don’t know whether it crossed the line, but if there’s VAR, we would have had the opportunity of having a better view. For me, I’m just a coach and cannot change the rules of FIFA.”
The absence of VAR in such a pivotal match has raised questions about the consistency and fairness of officiating in World Cup qualifiers. Despite the draw, the Super Eagles remain focused on their path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with hopes that future matches will see the inclusion of VAR to ensure fair play and accurate decisions.
