Sani Kaita admits VAR would not have saved him from 2010 World Cup red card

Former Super Eagles midfielder Sani Kaita, has shared his thoughts on the notorious red-card incident involving him during Nigeria’s 2010 FIFA World Cup outing in South Africa.

He acknowledged that the outcome might not have differed even with the implementation of the Video Assistant Referee, VAR, system, adding that his intent in that incident was bad.

Kaita was issued a straight red card in the 33rd minute of Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to Greece in their second group-stage match at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The ex-Nigerian midfielder was sent off after he aggressively kicked Greece’s Vasileios Torosidis off the pitch, leaving the Super Eagles to compete with only 10 players.

Nigeria could not maintain their lead as Greece staged a comeback, scoring through Dimitris Salpingidis and Vasilis Torosidis.

The dismissal became one of the most notable moments of Nigeria’s campaign, marking Kaita as the first Nigerian player to be sent off in a World Cup match.

When asked if VAR could have altered the incident’s outcome, Kaita said the technology would likely have confirmed the referee’s decision, emphasising that his actions at that moment were misguided.

The former midfielder told AySuga, “To be honest, I may say no because intent is crucial when it comes to how referees perceive football.

“Therefore, my intent was not good at all. I don’t think VAR would change anything. I believe it was just something that was meant to happen. I have already moved on,” he concluded.

Keita, now 40, represented the Super Eagles from 2005 to 2010, making 22 appearances without scoring a goal.