Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has pointed out inconsistencies with regards to the application of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Caf Champions League.

The Brazilians were on the receiving end of a controversial decision during their 1-0 loss to Petro Atletico in Luanda last weekend when a late Neo Maema goal was disallowed by Zambian referee Janny Sikazwe after consulting VAR.

“It’s a little bit of a challenge this thing of VAR,” Mngqithi said as the Brazilians prepared to host Petro in the quarterfinal, second leg clash at FNB Stadium on Saturday.

“Maybe it is something we have to adapt to because we have seen in the Euros, the Uefa Champions League and in the EPL that whenever there is something that is a little bit dubious, you expect the referee to go to the screen to verify and make sure it is exactly what he feels it is.

“But, in Africa they chose when they want to go and check on the screen. The foul on Thapelo Morena in the first five minutes of the game against Petro, honestly speaking, the last defender is the one that pulled him.

“You’ll expect the defender gets a red card but if the referee is not sure whether he was the last defendert, then he will have to go and check on the screen whether he was the last defender and it is a professional foul or not.

“But if the referee does not want to go and check things, as if he is 100%t sure that the way he saw it is the right way. Going into the goal Neo Maema scored in the second half, the referee was less than 2m away from the incident.

“Even the camera angle of the VAR is impeded by the position of the referee. They can’t show exactly the tackle by Mothobi Mvala. The referee was closest and in a better angle to make a call and he made the call to continue until maybe three to four combinations and we scored a very good goal.

“Then suddenly he goes back to VAR, so it is a little bit of an issue and maybe we have our own teething problems but we don’t want to be making excuses because we are aware it can help in some instances.

“In some instances the referee will come back with a very wrong decision and we have seen in many instances the human error is going to be there even if VAR is used.”

Mngqithi said the problem is that referees on the continent only encounter VAR during big continental matches and not on a weekly basis in their respective leagues.

“Practice always makes you perfect. When you are not practicing week in and week out and you only encounter it in a continental tournament or continental matches then  you are not used to decisions being taken beyond you or what you see at that point in time.

“That’s why at times they don’t even go to VAR to check, even when you ask them because they are not used to doing it. They are stubborn because they think they are bigger than you.

“The truth of the matter is that the law says you can ask the referee to go and check with VAR so he makes sure the decision is the best one.”