CAF to use VAR in Champions League and Confederation Cup finals
A view of the video assistant refereeing (VAR) operation room at the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia International Broadcast Centre (IBC) in Moscow on June 9, 2018. Mladen ANTONOV / AFP
The Confederation of African Football have announced that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be used in the final of both the CAF Champions League and Confederation Cup in November and December respectively.
VAR was first used in Africa in February 2018, when Wydad Casablanca played TP Mazembe in the Caf Super Cup at the Stade Mohamed V, Casablanca, Morocco.
“This is a historic moment for African football. It clearly shows that Caf is determined and committed to the inter-club competitions and will bring on board the latest and innovative technologies to make it better,” Caf secretary general Amr Fahmy told Cafonline.
“We are the first confederation to use VAR in the final of the club competitions. We did it for the Caf Super Cup and we are delighted to go a step further with the inter-club competitions.”
The continental body has organised a preparatory course to be supervised by David Elleray, Technical Director of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) for 12 elite match officials (six referees and six assistant referees) on VAR use.
The selected referees are Janny Sikazwe (Zambia), Ghead Grisha (Egypt), Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria), Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia), Victor Gomes (South Africa) and Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia).
And the Assistant Referees are Emiliano Jerson Dos Santos (Angola), Zakhele Siwela (South Africa), Jean Claude Birumushahu (Burundi), Anouar Hmila (Tunisia), Abdelhak Etchiali (Algeria) and Mahmoud Abo El Regal (Egypt).
Enyimba are the only Nigerian team left in any of the two CAF interclub competitions. Enyimba could reach the final of the CAF Confederation Cup if they overturn a 1-0 deficit at Casablanca, Morocco against Raja Casablanca on October 24.
