The Fijian coach is not happy with the referee and has criticisms regarding the implementation of Video Assistant Refereeing.
Regarding the impending implementation of VAR in OFC competitions, Fijian coach Rob Sherman has expressed his opinions rather clearly.
Following the bronze medal loss in the OFC Nations Cup the Welshman, who’s Fiji side fell 2-1 to Tahiti, made the comments on the back of what he considered was a bad performance from New Zealand referee CK Kawana-Waugh in the match. “We don’t seem to get much out of that referee,” he remarked. Additionally, Kawana-Waugh officiated Fiji’s match against Tahiti in the group stage and their match against Vanuatu in the semifinal.
With regards to the bronze final, Shermand remarked, “There are things going on at both teams and yet it seems we are getting penalized for pulling the shirt and they’re not.” The OFC had earlier announced their hope that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will “be up and running for ‘practice’ at OFC tournaments later this year, with the aim to have VAR introduced at competitions in 2025, in preparation for the proposed OFC Pro League.”
Nevertheless, Sherman is not excited about the imminent introduction of VAR, regardless of his opinions regarding the quality of officiating during the bronze medal match of the Nations Cup. “No, no. I detest VAR. The referee is ultimately in charge. I detest VAR so much. It’s just one more personal opinion. Ultimately, we must have faith in the referee. Sherman stated, “The referee is the guy, and we need to trust him, regardless of my criticism there.”