Development: Nigerian Referees Undergo Training as NPFL Sets to Deploy VAR For 2025/2026 Season, Urges Clubs to Upgrade Their Stadiums
By: Israel Adeleke
OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) has announced that it set to take the Nigerian Football League to the next level by introducing Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system in the 2025/2026 season.
OTN News further reports that the Chairman of the NPFL, Honourable Gbenga Elegbeleye, confirmed the development during a discussion on the Sports World Platform WhatsApp group, hosted by Sunday Agunbiade (Mr VAR), earlier this week.
According to Elegbeleye, while the full deployment of VAR might not begin at the very start of the new season, significant steps have already been taken toward its implementation.
Furthermore, Elegbeleye, who, emphasized the benefits of VAR, noted its positive impact in recent international tournaments such as the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
He elucidated that the league board is now fully aware of the value VAR can bring in improving officiating accuracy and restoring confidence among stakeholders.
OTN News observes that, one of the major motivations behind the move is the increasing concern over the absence of Nigerian referees in FIFA and CAF competitions, a situation Elegbeleye believes could be partly attributed to the lack of VAR exposure at the domestic level.
Elegbeleye further expressed that to address this issue, the NPFL has selected a group of referees who are currently undergoing VAR training in Morocco.
The league, however, directed clubs to begin upgrading their stadiums to meet the required standards for the use of the technology.
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