The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) has profoundly impacted football officiating globally, from the FIFA World Cup to continental tournaments like the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). While sparking both praise and controversy, VAR aims to support referees in making accurate decisions during critical match moments, focusing on four key situations: goals, penalties, direct red cards, and mistaken identity.

• VAR was first introduced at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, with FIFA President Gianni Infantino hailing it as "football’s future."
• By the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the technology advanced with semi-automated offside technology (SAOT).
• CAF (Confederation of African Football) became the first confederation outside Europe to apply VAR across all fixtures in a continental championship at AFCON 2021 in Cameroon.
• CAF refereeing director Eddy Maillet acknowledges VAR's imperfections but stresses its progress towards fairness and greater accuracy in critical decisions.