A long-awaited decision: CAF takes a historic step in African competitions | Goal.com

Published on 09 Oct 2026 | Reading time: 1 minute

African club football has entered a new era. CAF have confirmed that Video Assistant Referee technology (VAR) will be used from the group stage of the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup this season, a long-awaited move to modernise officiating in continental competitions.

Samson Adamu, CAF's interim Secretary-General, confirmed the technology will come in at this stage of both tournaments. It marks a significant shift in how African matches are run and shows the confederation turning to modern tools to sharpen the accuracy of refereeing calls.

The change should cut down on costly refereeing errors, especially in the contentious moments that can swing a result: penalty decisions, straight red cards and checks on whether a goal should stand.

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