World football governing body FIFA has confirmed that Video Assistant Referees (VAR) will be used during the upcoming African World Cup playoffs to ensure fairness and accuracy in officiating.
The technology will be deployed across all matches in the decisive qualification series that will determine Africa’s remaining representatives at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
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Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the four nations competing for the final slots. In the semi-final fixtures, Nigeria’s Super Eagles will face Gabon’s Panthers, while DR Congo will meet Cameroon in the other tie.
The winners will meet in the final on Sunday, November 16, to decide the last African team to qualify for the global tournament.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said the introduction of VAR underscores FIFA’s commitment to maintaining officiating integrity in high-stakes continental competitions.
