The Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) is set to launch the CAF Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Academy, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing the standard of officiating across its 54 Member Associations.
This program, expected to roll out between September and October 2024, seeks to build on the success of recent tournaments, notably the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, where the quality of officiating was widely praised.
The CAF VAR Academy will train elite referees from across the continent in the use of VAR technology for international competitions and national championships.
The initiative aims to ensure that African referees remain at the forefront of the sport, continuing the trend of producing top-tier officials who can compete on the global stage.
Raul Chipenda, CAF’s Technical Development Director, emphasized the importance of the VAR Academy Programme as a key step in improving officiating standards in African football.
“In the last few months, CAF has had a strong bias in upskilling match officials on the usage of VAR, which is why at the AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, our officials were rated amongst the best. But it does not help having a small group; we need a big pool,” Chipenda stated.
He added, “Officiating plays a critical role in the development of African football, as evidently seen in the success of the recent TotalEnergies CAF AFCON. CAF actively oversees and supports a number of football development programmes and competitions across Africa.
With that said, it is equally vital that match officials across Africa are adequately equipped with the latest officiating technology, means, and education in order to remain on par with the existing pool of officials on the continent.”
The CAF VAR Academy will be attended by elite referees from CAF’s 54 Member Associations, marking a significant step toward introducing VAR technology more broadly across the continent.
As part of the rollout, CAF plans to conduct workshops across its Zonal Unions, with an estimated 180 referees expected to participate in the training sessions.
This initiative underscores CAF’s commitment to developing African football by ensuring that the officiating standards are on par with international best practices.
With the VAR Academy, African football is set to benefit from a more consistent and reliable application of the rules, which will ultimately enhance the quality and integrity of the game across the continent.
