The Ghana Football Association (GFA), has begun the process of implementing the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), technology in domestic competitions.

The video assistant referee, is an assistant referee in association football who intervenes in decisions made by the referee and requests for an on field review with the use of video footage and headset for communication.

VAR was first written into the laws of the game by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in 2018, following extensive trailing in a number of major competitions.

“VAR is coming to Ghana, but there are a lot of work that we need to do to ensure that VAR comes to this country., GFA Referees Manager, Alex Kotey said in an interview with GFA News.

“FIFA is saying that, by the next 3 years, VAR must go to all member associations and so member associations must begin to accept this concept and let it become part of our football.

“So, in the project planning, there are so many requirements that FIFA will demand from us which is in line with the club licensing regulations and so there’s nothing to fear. After the project planning, there’s another requirement where you have to engage the various stakeholders, like referees who are the main actors of this program.



“The VAR is in three models, that’s, VAR in a structure, VAR in a container and VAR in a mobile van. For me, I’ll be bias and go for the van, and that is because it is movable, so, that anywhere StarTimes is covering a match, the VAR will be there to make their work very simple.

“FIFA is ready to support this course and the only thing that member associations need to do is to show commitment and the willingness to accept the VAR into our football.

“When that is done, FIFA and CAF will give us all the necessary support that we need to actualize the project. Though we are going to bring VAR, we need to work on our referees because VAR is an aide to officiating and so referees should not be dependent on the VAR.

“We want everyone to catch the euphoria that VAR will soon come to Ghana with the support of the Ghana Football Association, CAF and FIFA” Referees Manager Alex Kotey ended

Currently, only a few African countries, namely, Morocco, South Africa and Egypt use VAR in their domestic competitions.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will be introduced from the quarter-final stage of the Africa Cup of Nations.

It was originally planned to use VAR from the semi-final stage but it will now be brought in from the last-eight games.

Several marginally offside calls and an erroneous handball decision, which Ghana felt might have contributed to their early exit from the tournament, have been the extent of controversy in Egypt this year in a triumph for the battered reputation of African referees.

The second leg of the African Champions League final was abandoned in May in a row over the absence of the technology when it had been scheduled to be used.

When the referee disallowed an effort by Wydad Casablanca, they stormed off in protest that VAR had not been consulted, even though they had been told before the game that the system was not operational.

The referee of the first leg was banned for six months after he made controversial calls after consulting VAR.

This was deemed, however, to be a knee-jerk reaction by CAF and the suspension of Gehad Grisha was later lifted.

CAF president Ahmad Ahmad said not using the VAR system in the opening rounds was a “measure of prudence”.

”Those countries that use VAR did not rush into it from the start. It’s a technology that a lot of people don’t completely use yet,” he told reporters before the tournament.

Source: ghanasoccernet

CAF president Ahmad has confirmed when VAR will be used in the upcoming AFCON 2019.

He was addressing journalists at the Cairo International Stadium Conference room.

The pre-tournament press conference is a traditional occasion where the President of CAF officially welcomes
journalists from all over the world to Africa’s foremost continental tournament.



On when VAR will be used the President said: “To be prudent, we decided to only use VAR after the quarterfinals”
The use of VAR has come under a lot of scrutinies especially following the CAF Champions League when Esperence players were declared winners after Wydad players walked off after a two-hour delay due to VAR not working.

It was not great for African football and CAF are looking to avoid such an embarrassment on a much bigger stage.
The tournament is set to kick off on Friday 21st June with hosts Egypt taking on Zimbabwe in Cairo.