When the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) begins on Sunday in Cameroon all 52 matches will be using the Video Assistant Referee ((VAR).
It is the first time VAR, which gained worldwide recognition by 2018, will be used fully in any African competition.
However, the innovation is not coming as a surprise since VAR technology was partially used in the 2019 competition in Egypt, beginning from the quarter-finals through the final.
The competition gets underway on Sunday, January 9 with hosts Cameroon taking on Burkina Faso at the Olembe Stadium in Yaounde, where the final match of the 24-team competition will also hold on Feb. 6.
It is expected to help improve the image of refereeing and also produce world-class match officials in Africa.
Sixty-three match officials, including women referees Salima Mukasanga (Rwanda), Carine Atemzabong (Cameroon), Fatiha Jermoumi (Morocco) and Bouchra Karboubi (Morocco), have been listed for the matches.
The list consists of 24 referees, 31 assistant referees and eight VARs, all coming from 36 countries.
The roster includes two referees from the CONCACAF as part of an inter-confederation skills exchange programme.
