For the first time in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) will be used in all 52 matches of the competition starting this weekend in Cameroon.
The competition kicks off on Sunday, 09 January 2022 with hosts Indomitable Lions of Cameroon playing against the Etalons of Burkina Faso at 17h00 local time (16h00 GMT) at Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, Cameroon.
The final match will be played on 06 February 2022 at the same venue.
CAF experimented the use of the VAR from the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations, Egypt 2019.
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 seen as 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 Africa Cup 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