Referees and match officials for the Cosafa Cup 2024 are receiving training on how to use the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

VAR technology will be utilized throughout this tournament, starting with the semifinals and continuing through to the final match.

Among the officials receiving the training are Hillary Hambaba, Trywell Nyirenda, and Diana Chikotesha of Zambia.

Other senior African authorities will take advantage of the chance to further their VAR implementation training.

In the future, match officials who are not familiar with VAR will be excluded from key tournaments.

This is according to Felix Tangawarima, the Cosafa Referees Manager, who made the announcement to Cosafa media.

“We need to train our referees”- COSAFA.

“We have some new referees encountering VAR for the first time and in this five-day training programme,”  

“CAF have seen the progress made by COSAFA in this training and have asked us to take their referees that are going to the Olympics and train with us,”

“It is a requirement that we can only use certified VAR officials, so that is when they will come into play,”

“We usually use around 22 match officials during a tournament and those that are here for the COSAFA Cup are new to VAR“. 

“This year three of our tournaments will have VAR, probably more than CAF will do. This project will have a big impact on match officials in the Southern African region,” read part of the statement. 

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The 2024 Cosafa Cup tournament will run from June 26th to 7th July 2024 in South Africa.