AFCON 2019 Sport: CAF confirms use of VAR for Nigeria vs South Africa, other games

AFCON 2019 Sport: CAF confirms use of VAR for Nigeria vs South Africa, other games

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has put everything in place, to ensure that Video Assistant Referees (VAR), is used from the quarter-finals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

The technology was not used in the group stages and Round of 16 fixtures.

However, it will make its debut on Wednesday, July 10.

First for the last-8 clash between Senegal and Benin, then the subsequent game between Nigeria and South Africa.

Souleyman Waberi, the CAF exco member from Djibouti and chairman of CAF’s referee’s commission, told Osasu Obayiuwana of the BBC: “We are very ready. We have used VAR offline (in test mode) for five games in this tournament, starting with the Egypt vs Uganda match.

“Everything has worked well. Refereeing experts from FIFA have checked things and are satisfied.”

Waberi also revealed that CAF expects to use VAR for the 2020 CHAN from the start of that tournament.

The tournament will be hosted by Cameroon, who will also host the 2021 AFCON a year later.

“Our plan is to use VAR from the first match of that tournament,” he added.