In a landmark moment for South Asian football, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system is set to be deployed for the first time in the history of the SAFF Championship. Remote VAR technology will be introduced for the semi-finals and final of the ongoing Tecno SAFF Championship 2026, aligning the regional showpiece with contemporary international officiating standards.
The rollout has been made possible through a strategic partnership between the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) and the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF). Technical operations are being managed by Quality, a FIFA-certified Spanish technology provider operating out of a central hub in Thailand, widely recognised for supplying VAR infrastructure across global tournaments.
Under this remote operating model, live match feeds from the National Stadium in Dhaka will be transmitted directly to a centralised VAR operations centre in Thailand. There, certified Video Match Officials will monitor incidents and advise on-field referees in accordance with the IFAB VAR Protocol, relaying decisions and recommendations back to officials in Dhaka in real time.
To support the setup on the ground, a fully equipped Referee Review Area (RRA) and a Technical Operations Team Area Monitor (TOTAM) have been installed at the National Stadium. On-site specialists from Quality are overseeing the infrastructure to guarantee uninterrupted transmission and seamless operation throughout the knockout fixtures.
Hailing the historic development, SAFF General Secretary Purushottam Kattel termed the move a major breakthrough for the region’s game.
“The introduction of VAR is a groundbreaking moment for South Asian football and an important step towards raising the professional standards of our competitions. We are extremely grateful to the Asian Football Confederation and the ASEAN Football Federation for their invaluable support in helping us introduce this technology to the region,” Kattel said.
“VAR has become an integral part of modern football, providing greater accuracy in key match decisions and reinforcing the principles of fairness, transparency, and sporting integrity. We believe this milestone will not only enhance the quality of the Tecno SAFF Championship 2026 but also pave the way for the broader adoption of advanced football technologies across South Asia,” he noted.
