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A Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Workshop commenced in the Zambian capital Lusaka on Monday, bringing together 40 male and female referees for an intensive five-day training programme.
This groundbreaking workshop is the first of its kind in East, Central, and Southern Africa, marking a major step forward in adopting VAR technology.
The workshop is being conducted by leading global and regional experts, including FIFA IT Technology Support and COSAFA VAR specialist Ramy Gamal,
FIFA VAR Instructor Carlos Astroza and COSAFA Referees Manager Felix Tangawarima, who also doubles as VAR project manager.
Speaking on the sidelines workshop, Tangawarima emphasised COSAFA’s commitment to VAR implementation, confirming that all COSAFA tournaments in 2024 will feature VAR.
“For this year 2025, all our tournaments in COSAFA will be done with VAR,” he said.
“Zambia is the first country in the Central, East and Southern zones to get the proper VAR project role out and we are going to be with the referees (in Lusaka) for the next five days where we anticipate every referee will do a minimum of 25 hours training.
“For a referee to be certified, they have to be trained and go through a minimum of 25 hours.”
Tangawarima said the training programme is vital in preparing and equipping Zambian referees as the Zambian Super League gears up to introduce VAR in the upcoming season.
“Zambia intends to introduce VAR in the league in the coming seasons and for them to be able to do that, we have to train as many referees as possible.
“We have 40 Super League referees who will be trained and certified at this groundbreaking VAR proper package.
“We started a pilot project for the (2023 Absa) Cup final of the Zambian game. We didn’t use Zambian referees because we didn’t have VAR-certified referees,” explained Tangawarima.
FAZ President Andrew Kamanga, who officiated at the opening ceremony, thanked COSAFA for bringing the initiative to Zambia.
“Please deliver this message to the COSAFA Executive that we are indeed very grateful that you have been able to come and support us with this initiative.
“There can be no successful implementation of VAR without trained personnel. This exercise is critical in ensuring that we are ready for the undertaking that we have signed up,” Kamanga said.
“We are already doing a lot of work in our game to incorporate technology as witnessed by the recent handover of Global Tracking System equipment for all our Super League teams for both men and women.
“All these developments are embedded in our 10-year strategic plan that we are calling Vision 2030.”
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Paul Onuachu is back where the goals flowed after the Nigerian striker completed a 5.6 million euros ($6.60 million) move to Trabzonspor from Southampton on Friday, turning a successful loan spell into a permanent stay on Turkey’s Black Sea coast.
Nicknamed “Tall Paul” by Saints fans, the 2.01-metre forward never found his stride in the Premier League, scoring just four goals as Southampton dropped out of the top flight.
But in Turkey, he looked like his old self — hitting 15 goals in 21 league games while on loan last season and quickly winning over the fans and board alike.
Once prolific at Genk, with 73 goals in 103 league games, 31-year-old Onuachu’s return to Trabzonspor feels more like a reset than a gamble.
The new Super Lig season kicks off on August 8, with champions Galatasaray defending their crown. Trabzonspor, who finished seventh last term, will hope their returning striker picks up right where he left off.
-Reuters
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A celebration turned tragic on Saturday, June 22, 2025, when three spectators lost their lives and more than 70 others sustained injuries following a fence collapse at the July 5 Stadium in Algiers. The incident occurred after MC Alger clinched the Algerian top-flight football title for the second consecutive season.
According to a statement released on Facebook by the Algerian Ministry of Health, the collapse took place in the stadium’s south bend upper stand. Emergency services responded swiftly, with 38 injured fans taken to Beni Messous University Hospital, 27 to Ben Aknoun Hospital, and 16 to Bab El Oued Hospital.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed condolences to the victims’ families and extended wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.
MC Alger also mourned the loss of one of their fans. “It is with great sadness and sorrow that we received the news of our supporter Younes Amguzzi, who passed away after falling from the upper stands,” the club said in a statement posted on Instagram.
The club has not yet issued a formal comment on the additional reported fatalities.
Local media attributed the tragedy to a structural failure, reporting that part of the upper-tier fencing gave way, causing fans to fall into the lower stands. A video posted by El Heddaf TV showed the damaged railing and the chaotic aftermath.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, while MC Alger players, staff, and club officials visited to donate blood in support of the victims. The trophy presentation ceremony was postponed out of respect for the incident.
Authorities are expected to launch an investigation into the cause of the collapse and the safety standards at the stadium.
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Libyan football is once again under fire after a highly anticipated derby match between Al-Ahli Tripoli and Al-Ittihad spiralled into chaos on Wednesday evening, forcing an early end to the game and leaving a trail of violence and destruction in its wake.
What was meant to be a showcase of local rivalry quickly turned into a disaster.
The match, part of Libya’s national championship, took a dark turn in the 38th minute when Moroccan midfielder Nawfel Zerhouni curled in a beautiful free-kick to give Al-Ittihad the lead. But the celebrations were short-lived. Tensions flared, players clashed, and a full-blown melee broke out on the pitch.
Things only got worse from there.
Despite being officially designated a behind-closed-doors fixture, fans from both clubs found their way into the stadium and took over the stands. Fights erupted, and the terraces turned into battlegrounds. The referee had no choice but to abandon the match.
The violence didn’t stop at the stadium gates.
Reports suggest that live ammunition was fired at Al-Ahli supporters, and the Al-Ittihad team bus was set ablaze in the aftermath. Shocking scenes like these are a grim reminder of how unchecked football passion can spiral into outright mayhem.
Both clubs reacted swiftly with official statements condemning the violence. Al-Ahli Tripoli and Al-Ittihad called for calm and restraint, stressing the importance of upholding the values of sport. They also urged authorities to launch a full investigation to uncover those behind the violence and ensure accountability.
This disturbing episode comes on the heels of previous controversies involving Libya’s football scene, including the troubled AFCON qualifier against Nigeria and riots during the Libya–Benin Republic match. It raises fresh concerns over the safety and stability of football in the country.
Libyan football is at a crossroads. Whether this serves as a wake-up call or just another chapter in a worrying trend remains to be seen.
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