The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially confirmed that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will be used during this month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoffs featuring Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon, and DR Congo.
The use of VAR is a good step toward ensuring fairness and accuracy in the crucial playoff games that will determine which African nation advances to the Inter-Confederation Playoffs.
According to reports from Leagues Reporter, CAF’s decision is part of a broader commitment to align African competitions with global refereeing standards, especially in high-stakes matches like these playoffs.
Nigeria will face Gabon in the first semifinal on November 13 in Morocco, while Cameroon will take on DR Congo in the other semifinal. The winners from both fixtures will meet in the final on November 16, also in Morocco, for a chance to reach the next stage of qualification.
Football fans have welcomed the introduction of VAR, hoping it will minimize controversial decisions and ensure transparency in such decisive fixtures.
This will be one of the few CAF-organized playoff series where VAR is implemented from the semifinal stage, which shows CAF’s intent to improve officiating consistency ahead of the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
