FOOTBALL & TECHNOLOGY - A solution or delusion?

The game of football
has never ceased to brew controversy on and off the pitch comparative to the
pugilist sport of boxing, which most of the time has everything to do with the boxers,
a referee and the three judges.



In the game of football however, anyone on and off the pitch
can become the center of attraction before and or after the game.



It could be the club owner, the players on the field
(goalie, defenders, midfielders and attackers), the substitute who comes off
the bench, the manager by his decisions, even the fans in the stands by their
action or inaction, stand to be eulogized or demonized before, during or after
the game.



World Cup 2010 offered the football world amongst other things,
the chance to brood over the debate of whether technology should be adopted as
a matter of urgency, especially against the back of FIFA’s “Fair Play” mantra and
three major occurrences.



First was the much talked-about Frank Lampard goal against
Germany that was disallowed at a time when the English felt had it been left to
stand would change the complexion of the game.



Then was the Louis Fabiano’s goal against the Ivory Coast,
which was ruled by the referee as legal, even though he (Fabiano) had handled
the ball twice. All this while, it did not seem to matter to many Ghanaians
till the Suarez act that many have described as “jinx on the brink of history.”



Louis Suarez, who has since his action been demonized,
brought a whole new dimension to the technology debate, having pushed the Black
Stars, then the hope of an entire continent, out of the competition on a rather
crude note.



All this while, the football world governing body,
Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA) had made a definitive
statement that it was not going to adopt goal-line technology as was being
proposed by some members of the football fraternity.



To quote the exact words of FIFA’s general-secretary, Jerome
Valcke, after the International FA Board (IFAB) meeting in Zurich in March this
year, it was said that football would have to continue to accept such errors,
adding “questions will always come; we
just hope they will not come in the final of the World Cup.” Technology should
not enter into the game. It was a clear statement made by the majority of the
IFAB. The main part of the game should be humans — players and referees.”



He categorically stated,
“If we start with goal line technology, then any part of the game and pitch
will be a potential space where you could put in place technology to see if the
ball was in or out, and then you end up with video replays. The door is closed,”


Between March and July, FIFA chief, Sepp Blatter, was
apologizing to the English for what was to be but was not, admitting that the
disallowed goal had opened the debate for technology and that it was going to
be nonsense not to reopen the debate of introducing technology into the game.



"It is obvious that after the experiences so far at this World Cup it
would be a nonsense not to reopen the file on goal-line technology, personally
I deplore it when you see evident referee mistakes but it's not the end of a
competition or the end of football, this can happen," Blatter stated.



An argument put forward by FIFA has always been that rules of the game must cut
across the divide irrespective of where the game is being played. Having said
this, the big question is, how fast can FIFA spread any technology in this case
to all of its member countries?



More so the point because at one moment or the other during
FIFA tournaments, the world gathers to compete and if the goal line technology
is to be used, how fair would it be to countries that have never played with
the technology in question?



Granted that technology is to be used, it goes to say for
instance that a decision is to be taken on the basis of some technological
support, who makes the eventual decision? The man called, referee. No matter
which technology is employed, humans cannot be written off the process.

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), with the
hope of minimizing controversies which are very much a part of the game,
introduced two extra referees to stand behind the post to ascertain whether a
goal is scored or otherwise.



Unfortunately however, in no less a competition than the
globally acclaimed Champions League and with the two extra referees stationed
behind the post, Arsene Wenger of Arsenal has had cause to complain about a
disallowed call for penalty in his side’s game against Bragga.



In the same competition, Real Madrid were victims of an
offside goal by AC Milan forward Phillipo Inzaghi, and but for a late Pedro
Leon goal, the Madridsters would have been heading back home empty handed.



But in developing countries that struggle to battle the
scourge of bribery and corruption on the part of match officials, one wonders
how long it will take for them to employ extra referees in line at least with
UEFA standards.



What really is my take in all of this is that the game of
football has never been and would not for a long time to come, be a game that
is in its entirety a fair game. FIFA’s drive aimed at Respect and Fairplay are
all geared more towards civility and sportsmanlike conduct even as opposing
teams gun for a single title.



In desperate efforts at a establishing an error-free
football space, an impossibility in my respectable and humble view, the whole
technology drive I think will do all stakeholders in the game more harm than
good. To that extent, let the games flow because no one team has been victim to
all wrong decisions, but beneficiaries at one time or the other as well.



“Let’s respect the
human element of football and simply look to the brighter side of the game that
affects millions of people the world over, for undoubtedly it’s the passion of the
world.”
Credit: Shaban Barani Alphae-mail: alfarsenal@yahoo.com