After successfully testing the video assistant referee (VAR) at the 2018 CAF Super Cup and African Nations Championship, CAF intends to roll it out at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, according to sources at the continent football’s governing body.
The system was fully used for the first time in an African competitive game during the CAF Super Cup clash between Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) and TP Mazembe (DR Congo) at the Complexe Mohamed V in Casablanca in February 2018.
At the 2018 CHAN, the VAR was partially applied at mock-up and offline sessions under the supervision of FIFA experts, who described the results as impressive.
CAF is expected to announce a final decision on the usage of the technology for the 2019 AFCON in the coming weeks.
“I think the application of the VAR at the AFCON will not only limit human errors but also modernise African football,” Martin Mobio, a referee assessor based in Ivory Coast, told ACLsports.
“It’s true there have been criticisms of the technology mostly in Europe but I don’t think it’s enough argument to not adopt it. African football has more to gain from it. I can’t wait to see it happen.”
The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations will hold between June 21 and July 19 in Egypt, which won the hosting right after Cameroon was stripped due to delays in preparation.
