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Morocco World
3 days ago
- Sport
- Morocco World
CHAN 2024: Four Moroccan Referees to Officiate Central African Republic vs Burkina Faso
Rabat – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed four Moroccan officials to oversee the match between the Central African Republic and Burkina Faso, taking place this evening. This game is part of Group B in the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024, co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Leading the officiating team is Moroccan international referee Bouchra Karboubi, who will serve as the center referee. She will be assisted by fellow Moroccans Hamza El Farik and Fatiha Jermouni, who will operate the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system. Meanwhile, Mustafa Kashaf will act as the fourth official for this match. This appointment reflects the growing recognition of Moroccan refereeing talent on the continental stage. Karboubi, in particular, has gained international acclaim for her performances in major tournaments, including the 2023 Women's World Cup. Her inclusion in this high-profile match reflects her esteemed status among African referees. In the tournament's opening match on August 3, Morocco secured a 2-0 victory over Angola, with Atlas Lion Mohamed Hrimat earning the 'Man of the Match' award. This win positions Morocco at the top of Group A, alongside Kenya, which also triumphed in its opening game. The CHAN 2024 tournament is set to run from August 3 to August 30. Morocco's national team aims to build on its strong start and advance through the group stages to contend for its third CHAN title. Speaking at a post-game press conference, head coach Tarik Sektioui said he wants the team to maintain the same tactical discipline during upcoming games. 'It's an important victory that sets us on the right path toward more positive results with confidence and determination,' Sektioui said. Tags: CHAN 2024FootballMorocco
The South African
17-07-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Has Gayton McKenzie failed to deliver on VAR promise?
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has raised concerns over the readiness of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in South Africa ahead of the upcoming Premier Soccer League (PSL) season. This comes despite repeated assurances over the past year that VAR would be introduced in time. Addressing Parliament earlier this week, McKenzie stated that the government is 'still finalising the process of funding VAR' , a statement that contradicts his earlier comments where he claimed the necessary R90 million was already secured. 'We are finalising the process of funding VAR to ensure that football matches, from the Premier Soccer League through to international fixtures we host, are fairer and meet global standards,' said McKenzie. The minister has previously visited Spain to test the technology and assured the public that VAR implementation was imminent. However, his latest remarks have left supporters confused and sceptical. 'Let's give SAFA a chance to finalise,' he added. 'There will be VAR in our soccer in South Africa.' McKenzie initially championed the call for VAR following controversial refereeing decisions in a high-profile match between Kaizer Chiefs and Mamelodi Sundowns. His vocal support led fans to believe the technology would be introduced this year. Despite this, the South African Football Association (SAFA) has yet to provide a formal rollout timeline or details on referee training and infrastructure readiness. Football fans and stakeholders are now questioning whether the long-awaited technology will be in place for the 2025/26 PSL season. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
New Straits Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New Straits Times
FAM: Thumbs up to the men in black
KUALA LUMPUR: The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) Referees Unit has, based on its comprehensive analysis, rated the performance of the men in black in the 2024/2025 Malaysia League (M-League) season as excellent. FAM deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram said this is based on the reports by the Referee Assessors, complaints from the teams and match video analysis — which are the benchmark in determining the referees' performances in the Super League, Malaysia Cup and FA Cup competitions. "Based on the FAM Referees Unit's report, the performances of referees in the 2024/2025 M-League season has been rated as excellent compared to the 2023/2024 season. "Last season, a total of 208 matches used the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology. Of the total, FAM only received five official complaints from the competing teams, namely four from Super League matches and one from a Malaysia Cup game," he said in a media statement today (July 9). Sivasundaram, who is also the FAM Referees Committee chairman, said every incident had been accurately reviewed by the VAR official and level of compliance with the VAR Protocol was excellent. "Of the 208 matches, VAR officials made 1,255 reviews (excluding silent checks). Of the 1,255 VAR checks, a total of 101 involved 'On Field Rieview' (OFR)," he said. He also said that VAR technology did not disrupt the flow of games as the average time added on by VAR was lower at 1.96 minutes compared to 4.70 minutes by referees. Sivasundaram added that data analysis showed that 647 goals were netted last year, with all goals checked by VAR officials before being confirmed. Meanwhile, he said the use of VAR last season showed a positive trend based on the number of complaints lodged and the accuracy of referees' decisions. He pointed out that the number of complaints lodged in the 2024/2025 season dropped to 2.24 per cent compared to 4.15 per cent the previous season, while the accuracy of referees' on-field decisions rose to 98.07 per cent compared to 88.76 per cent the previous season. For the record, FAM are the sole football governing body in Southeast Asia to use the VAR technology for all 208 domestic matches in the Super League, Malaysia Cup, FA Cup and Challenge Cup (two matches). — BERNAMA
New York Times
28-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Norwegian fans announce protests after professional clubs' vote to scrap VAR overruled
Norwegian football fans have announced a series of protests across the opening two matchdays of the top two divisions after its governing body voted to keep using Video Assistant Refereeing (VAR) despite its professional clubs voting to discontinue the system. The 2025 Eliteserien, Norway's top division, begins on Saturday March 28 and fans will stay out of stadiums for the first 15 minutes of each match before entering en masse as a protest against the recent decision to continue using VAR. Advertisement The Norwegian Supporter Alliance (NSA) drew up the initiative as a 'silent demonstration and walk-in', while a joint statement from supporters' groups at Oslo-based Valerenga say the action 'is intended to raise awareness that member democracy is under attack by anti-democratic forces who want to take control of Norwegian football'. In January, the 32 teams in Norsk Toppfotball (NTF), which represents clubs across Norway's top two divisions — the Eliteserien and First Division — passed a motion by 19 votes to 13 to request the Norway Football Federation (NFF) 'adopt the discontinuation of VAR as soon as possible'. However, the NFF responded by asking all 450 of its member clubs — the vast majority of whom are amateur and grassroots clubs who do not use the officiating technology — to vote on whether they wished to maintain VAR, with 321 voting in favour of keeping the system and 129 voting against. The Valerenga fan groups say the demonstration will 'symbolise what the abolition of member democracy can do to the supporter culture around Norwegian teams', with their view that the will of the NTF professional clubs has been ignored by the NFF. 'For this celebration to be successful, it will require everyone to make a sacrifice,' the joint statement added. 'We understand that everyone is looking forward to seeing our beloved Valerenga back in the league again, but we encourage everyone to find other solutions to watch the first 15 minutes. For example, venues will show the match on a big screen. 'As a last resort, there are still tickets available elsewhere in the stadium. We would like to emphasize that no attempts will be made to stop the matches. 'Defend member democracy!' VAR was introduced into Eliteserien in 2023 but has frequently been the subject of supporter protests. One incident in July 2024 saw the top-flight match between Rosenborg and Lillestrom abandoned after supporters threw tennis balls, fishcakes and smokebombs onto the pitch in protest against the technology. Advertisement A VAR report from the NFF in November stated the federation was being criticised for 'its communication style regarding VAR', adding: 'Players acknowledge that VAR has enhanced the fairness of refereeing decisions, but call for improvements in time management and more predictable procedures.' Elsewhere in Europe, Sweden became the first country to reject implementing VAR after fan backlash in May. In June Premier League clubs rejected proposals to scrap VAR following a motion from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the league's AGM. ()
New York Times
01-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Norwegian football to keep VAR despite professional clubs voting to scrap system
Norwegian football will keep using Video Assistant Refereeing (VAR) despite its professional clubs voting to discontinue the system earlier this year. In January, the 32 teams in Norsk Toppfotball (NTF), which represents clubs across Norway's top two divisions — the Eliteserien and First Division — passed a motion by 19 votes to 13 to request the Norway Football Federation (NFF) 'adopt the discontinuation of VAR as soon as possible'. Advertisement The NFF subsequently held an assembly on Saturday, March 1, in which all 450 of its member clubs — the vast majority of whom are amateur and grassroots clubs who do not use the officiating technology — were asked to vote on whether they wished to maintain VAR. 321 of the NFF's clubs voted to maintain using VAR, defeating the 129 who voted for the motion to start the process of its discontinuation. 'This is the biggest turnout since the vote on (the 2022 World Cup in) Qatar,' Anders Kjellevold, chair of the Norwegian Supporters Alliance (NSA) told The Athletic. 'It was always going to be difficult for those who want the remove VAR, as the smaller clubs, which constitute most of the participants, usually supports the FA board. They did so this time around too. The FA has put its weight behind keeping VAR. 'Still, 129 votes against the uanonynous position of the FA board is a strong indication of the opposition towards VAR in Norway.' VAR was introduced into Eliteserien in 2023 but has frequently been the subject of supporter protests. One incident in July 2024 saw the top-flight match between Rosenborg and Lillestrom abandoned after supporters threw tennis balls, fishcakes and smokebombs onto the pitch in protest against the technology. A VAR report from the NFF in November stated the federation was being criticised for 'its communication style regarding VAR', adding: 'players acknowledge that VAR has enhanced the fairness of refereeing decisions, but call for improvements in time management and more predictable procedures.' Elsewhere in Europe, Sweden became the first country to reject implementing VAR after fan backlash in May. The following month, Premier League clubs rejected proposals to scrap VAR following a motion from Wolverhampton Wanderers at the league's AGM. GO DEEPER Premier League clubs have fallen out of love with VAR - but will they vote to scrap it? (JILL DELSAUX/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)
