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7 days to go before the Women's AFCON: VAR made its debut in 2022
Published: Saturday, 28 June 2025
The countdown to the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations has officially begun. To mark the occasion, takes a look back at some of the defining moments that have shaped this competition, now gearing up for its 13th edition. Today, we shine a light on the introduction of a major technological tool that marked a turning point in the tournament's history: Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
Just 7 days to go until the TotalEnergies CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2024.
For the first time, during the Morocco 2022 edition, VAR was used on all 28 matches of the Women's AFCON, becoming the first women's competition in Africa to benefit from this tool on all pitches and in every match.
Deployed as part of CAF's modernisation strategy, this innovation aimed to strengthen the fairness, transparency and quality of refereeing, while offering officials valuable assistance in crucial decisions of the game: penalties, red cards, disputed goals or errors of identity.
"The introduction of VAR in African women's football is a strategic step forward. It reflects our desire to place the competition at the highest level of demand," said Souleiman Waberi, president of the CAF Referees Commission from 2021 to 2025, at the opening of the tournament.
This system was accompanied by rigorous work beforehand: intensive training, referee upgrading, technical tests on the stadiums, etc. The deployment of VAR was part of a global approach led by CAF to further professionalize the environment of women's competitions on the continent.
