VAR drama leaves Bafana Bafana's quarter-final hopes hanging by a thread

VAR, BLOODY VAR! Without this technological addition to the beautiful game, Bafana Bafana would be having one foot into the quarter-finals of the African Nations Championships (CHAN).

But such are the times we live in that the Video Assistant Referee is an integral part of the game, helping with borderline calls that the naked eye would often struggle to decide on.

At the Nelson Mandela Stadium in Kampala, Friday evening, South Africa’s makeshift national team saw two key decisions going against them to leave them drawing goalless with Niger in a group B match.

Molefi Ntseki’s team now have to beat host nation Uganda on Monday if they are to progress into the knockout phase, although a draw would get them through only if Algeria lose to Niger.

It is a tricky position to be in but then again it is Bafana Bafana, -they want to always leave us on tenterhooks going into final matches of tournaments, isn’t it? They just don’t know how to settle things without some drama.

Against a Niger team that had lost both their opening matches, Bafana were favourites.

They looked to have gotten a penalty just after the quarter-hour mark when Koketso Majadibodu appeared to have been tripped inside the box. But she was called by the VAR officials to have a second look and she changed her mind, giving a goal kick instead.

There was another VAR call on the stroke of half-time after Niger’s captain had cleared the ball off the line as Phillip Ndlondlo attempted to finish off the loose ball following Kutumela’s blocked effort.  The referee decided there was no handball.

While they would have no doubt wished the VAR was not part of the game given how it thwarted their chances, Bafana must have breathed a sigh of relief when the technology went their way later on.

Malibongwe Khoza got turned and twisted inside the box and made what appeared to be a tackle from behind to stop the Niger striker. The referee gave a corner kick only to be called on to check the sideline video monitor. To Bafana’s relief and Niger’s disappointment, she stood by her decision.   

Ntseki’s men had a chance to score after the break with Keagan Dolly seeing his shot being pushed out as early as the first minute of the second stanza. 

Five minutes later Radouone Asone cheaply gave possession away to Ndlondlo who sent Kutumela through but the striker took his sweet time on the ball and allowed the Niger defender to clean up his mess.

The West Africans also had their opportunities, but the closest they came was on 75 minutes from a corner kick which their skipper headed downward and the ball bounced off the upright and Samkelo Xulu managed to parry it away.

Bafana knew they’d left themselves with a mammoth task to qualify for the knockout stage as they met the final whistle with bowed heads while their opponents celebrated as though they’d won the match.