Zifa endorses goal-line technology

 

Zifa feel the move shows that football is also evolving with times instead of being static.

During an IFAB meeting in Zurich, Swizterland, last Thursday, the decision was unanimously endorsed despite threats of pull out by the Union of European Football Associations led by the legendary Michel Platini.

Uefa were in favour of five assistant referees, a system with which they had held a successful trial period .

“As Zifa we are fully behind the latest change to the game of football by IFAB. With the extraordinary assembly meeting set for Seychelles in September coming up, that issue will also be looked into to decide when to implement it,” said Zifa chief executive officer Jonathan Mashingaidze.

He did not however say when the system is likely to be implemented in Zimbabwe, saying that will be decided by the relevant technical people.

The Zifa head of secretariat conceded that the issue of costs might delay the implementation of the system in the country although indications are that Fifa might roll out funds for that project.

Goal-line technology will be on the agenda when organisers for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations next meet and Zimbabwe are one game away from an appearance in the finals in South Africa.

The next Nations Cup starts in January.

The month before the 2013 Nations Cup kicks off, goal-line technology will be used for the first time when the Fifa Club World Cup takes place in Japan in December.

It is possible that an African team will be the first to benefit from a decision since the continent’s club champions take part in the event every year.

The Nations Cup is not a competition that has recently been affected by close calls over whether a ball has crossed the line.

However, Nigeria could have benefited from the technology in the final of the 2000 Nations Cup, when they were beaten on penalties by neighbours Cameroon.

The shoot-out was engulfed in controversy as one of the two penalties that Nigeria missed was wrongly adjudged not to have crossed the line.

Victor Ikpeba’s strike hit the crossbar before bouncing over the line, as television replays clearly showed, but the disallowed strike enabled the Indomitable Lions to win the shoot-out 4-3.

Back home in 2010, former Highlanders captain Gilbert Banda cleared a ball when it looked like it had crossed the line from the Mpilo end goal when Bosso were playing against old nemesis Dynamos.

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