The Confederation of African Football (CAF) have confirmed that VAR will be used in all 52 matches at the upcoming AFCON and also revealed that controversial Senegalese referee Maguette Diaye is one of the 63 match officials at the tournament.
It was long known that CAF were keen on implementing VAR at the tournament in Cameroon and CAF confirmed on Friday that it will be implemented in all 52 matches in Cameroon, which is a big change in comparison to previous tournaments.
“Previously, CAF has used VAR starting from the quarterfinals of the TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2019,” CAF said in a statement.
“However, with CAF advancing with plans not only to improve the image of refereeing but also produce world class match officials in Africa, the implementation of VAR in all 52 matches in Cameroon is a step in the right direction.
“A list of 63 top match officials, including women top referees Salima Mukasanga (Rwanda), Carine Atemzabong (Cameroon), Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco) and Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco) will officiate the TotalEnergies Africa Vup of Nations, Cameroon 2021 matches.
“The list consists of 24 referees, 31 assistant referees and eight video assistant referees from 36 countries. The roster includes two referees from the CONCACAF as part of our inter-confederation skills exchange program.”
Diaye, who wrote headlines for his questionable officiating in the Ghana vs South Africa FIFA World Cup qualifier, as well as South African Victor Gomes are on the list of match officials picked by CAF for the tournament.
Meanwhile, Salima Mukasanga (Rwanda) is set to become the first ever women to officiate a match at the Africa Cup of Nations, along with her assistants, Carine Atemzabong (Cameroon) and Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco), while Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco) will be the VAR referee.
