ZIFA Launches VAR Project With FIFA Experts
By Harry Taruva - Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) has launched Video Assistant Refereeing (VAR) project in Harare with FIFA support and Sakunda Holdings funding, targeting National Sports Stadium first by end-2026.
Harry Taruva 
Harare — The Zimbabwe Football Association has officially kicked off its Video Assistant Referee project, bringing the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) experts and key stakeholders together in the capital with funding support from Sakunda Holdings.
The two-day kick-off meeting marks a major step towards modernising match officiating and protecting the integrity of the local game.
Officials described the initiative as essential for supporting referees and reducing controversial decisions that have long plagued domestic football.
Zimbabwe Football Association President, Nqobile Magwizi, welcomed the partnership.
“In an era where technology is the in-thing across the globe, it is a huge milestone not just for ZIFA but for our entire football ecosystem to have Video Assistant Referee equipment installed at the National Sports Stadium,” he said.
Sakunda Holdings will finance the procurement and installation of full VAR systems, including broadcast-quality cameras, monitors and communication infrastructure.
The National Sports Stadium is scheduled to receive the technology first, with operations targeted before the end of 2026.
Rufaro Stadium in Harare and Barbourfields Stadium in Bulawayo will follow in a second phase, with completion expected by March 2027.
Sources estimate the overall investment across the three venues at approximately US$2.5 million.
“We would love to have VAR across our major venues, but we are very grateful to Sakunda Holdings for partnering us in the installation of VAR equipment at the National Stadium for a start,” Magwizi said.
Sakunda founder, Senator Kudakwashe Tagwirei, has previously expressed ambition for Zimbabwe to rank among African nations leading the way on the technology.
The company has already invested heavily in National Sports Stadium upgrades, including pitch work and seating.
The project aims to assist officials on goals, penalties, red cards and cases of mistaken identity.
ZIFA officials stressed it will strengthen referee development and bring local standards closer to international requirements.
Stakeholders from the Premier Soccer League, clubs, government and municipalities joined the FIFA-led sessions.
The association framed the launch as part of broader efforts to reignite Zimbabwean football under its current leadership.
