CHAN tournament: Mali vs Congo, CAF to roll out VAR in Total CHAN 2020 quarter-finals

CAF will introduce the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) from the quarterfinal stages of the 2020 Total CHAN in Cameroon this weekend.

The first match that will have VAR in this tournament will be on Saturday, 30 January 2021 between Mali and Congo at Ahmadou Ahidiou Stadium in Yaounde.

On Thursday, CAF Deputy Secretary General Anthony Baffoe visited the VAR facilities and also the match officials.

“The standard of football in this competition has been very high and this has been complemented by good match officiating. Of course there are areas of improvement and with the introduction of VAR in the quarterfinals, this will assist our match officials to make quality decisions. As an administration, we are here to provide support. We have highly qualified instructors and people in charge in that space and they are doing a good job.”

CAF Refereeing Director Eddy Mallet commented: “We have been fortune that CAF has made available the latest technology and training equipment for our match officials during this tournament. This is indicative of the fact that the commitment to bring a professional structure in match officiating is not only lip serving but also a reality.”

CAF and VAR Facts:

CAF became the first Confederation to apply VAR in its competitions after several trials supervised by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in 2018, during the CAF Super Cup between Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) and TP Mazembe (DR Congo) in Casablanca.

After the successful implementation, the CAF Executive Committee passed a resolution for the application of VAR in major competitions. It has since been applied in competitions such as the Africa Cup of Nations, CAF Champions League, and CAF Confederation Cup.

SOURCE: CAFONLINE.COM