TPLB, sponsors to foot FVS bill
DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA Football Federation (TFF) President, Wallace Karia, has assured Mainland Premier League clubs that they will not bear the cost of introducing the Football Video Support (FVS) system, as the League Board (TPLB) and competition sponsors are set to finance the technology ahead of the 2026/27 season.
Karia made the remarks on Thursday while briefing the Media on preparations for the new league campaign, confirming that the FIFA and CAF-backed technology is on course to make a debut when the season kicks off.
He said clubs should have no concerns over the financial implications of the system, stressing that the investment would be covered centrally.
“The cost of installing Football Video Support will not be borne by the clubs. They should not worry because the installation and implementation costs will be met by the TPLB together with our sponsors,” Karia said.
The TFF chief revealed that the Federation has already identified a Portuguese company recommended by both FIFA and CAF to oversee the installation and operational rollout of the system in Tanzania.
“The company recommended by FIFA and CAF is from Portugal. They are expected to arrive at any time from today. Once they arrive, we will sign a Memorandum of Understanding, after which they will bring in the equipment and begin training,” he explained.
Karia disclosed that a small group of Tanzanian referees has already undergone introductory training on the use of FVS. However, he noted that the number is still insufficient to meet league requirements, making further capacity-building essential before the new season begins.
“The good thing is that some of our referees have already received training, but they are only a small group. More officials will undergo training so that we are fully prepared to start the league with Football Video Support in place,” he said.
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Although he did not reveal the overall cost of the project, Karia described FVS as a more affordable alternative to the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system, making it better suited to Tanzania’s football environment.
“Football Video Support sits below VAR in terms of cost. The equipment is not excessively expensive and is affordable for a country like Tanzania. It also gives teams on the pitch the opportunity to request a review,” he noted.
Unlike VAR, where reviews are initiated solely by the referee or officials in the VAR room, Karia explained that FVS allows coaches to request reviews of contentious incidents during matches.
He said players can alert their coach to a disputed decision before the coach signals the fourth official, who will then relay the request to the referee. The respective referee is obliged to review the footage before making a final decision.
Each team will be allocated four review requests per match. If a review overturns the referee’s original decision, the team retains all four requests. However, an unsuccessful review will result in the loss of one request.
“Keeping the number of reviews limited is important because we do not want constant interruptions. The system is designed to encourage coaches to request reviews only when they genuinely believe an error has been made,” Karia explained.
He further revealed that Tanzania’s version of the system will feature an enhanced visual offside line, enabling referees to determine offside decisions more accurately during reviews.
“We have gone a step further by incorporating a visual offside line. During a review, the system will display clear lines showing whether a player was offside or not, helping referees reach more accurate decisions,” Karia added.
