CAF to Implement VAR in Continental Group Stages
Patrice Motsepe, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has confirmed the organization's intention to implement Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology across the group stages of continental club competitions. This decision follows an executive committee meeting held on Sunday in Cairo, the Egyptian capital.
The same meeting also saw a series of organizational decisions, most notably the appointment of Nigeria's Samson Adamu as the new CAF Secretary-General, succeeding Veron Mosengo-Omba of Congo. This move aims to strengthen the administrative structure within the continental body.
Motsepe emphasized the importance of introducing VAR from the group stages, rather than limiting its use to the knockout rounds. He highlighted that this step is part of an effort to develop competitions and ensure refereeing fairness.
During the press conference, Motsepe stated: “There must be a presence of VAR technology, starting from the group stages, and I will task the Secretary-General with implementing this.”
VAR technology is considered a crucial tool in match management, as it assists referees in making accurate decisions in contentious situations, whether concerning goals, penalties, or red cards.
Currently, the group stage matches in both the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup are played without VAR, with the technology only being activated from the knockout rounds onwards.
