Zimpapers Logo

Sikhumbuzo Moyo, Senior Sports Reporter
CAF has confirmed that it will use video assistant referees (VAR) for the finals of this season’s Total Caf Champions League and Confederation Cup next month.

The move to use the technology was reached last month at the continental body’s executive committee meeting in Egypt and comes after the success of the premier implementation of the latest refereeing technology in the Total Caf Super Cup last February between Wydad Athletic Club (Morocco) and TP Mazembe (DR Congo) in Casablanca.

“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. We are the first confederation to use VAR in the final of club competitions,” Amr Fahmy said in a statement.

A preparatory course has been scheduled for the end of this month in Cairo, Egypt, where 12 elite match officials (six referees and six assistant referees) to be supervised by David Elleray, technical director of the International Football Association Board (IFAB), will be in attendance.

According to Caf, the selected officials are Janny Sikazwe (Zambia), Ghead Grisha (Egypt), Mehdi Abid Charef (Algeria), Bamlak Tessema (Ethiopia), Victor Gomes (South Africa), Papa Bakary Gassama (Gambia), Emiliano Jerson Dos Santos (Angola), Zakhele Siwela (South Africa), Jean Claude Birumushahu (Burundi), Anouar Hmila (Tunisia), Abdelhak Etchiali (Algeria) as well as Mahmoud Abo El Regal of Egypt.