CAF confirms VAR from group stage of 2026-2027 club competitions

Refereeing in the 2026–2027 Champions League and Confederation Cup is set to undergo a revolution.

The acting general secretary of the Confederation of African Football, Samson Adamu, has confirmed that VAR will be used from the group stage of both club competitions this season. This development marks a significant change in the system of referee assistance in African club competitions.

Until now, the technology had only been deployed from the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the Confederation Cup onwards. With this new measure, teams competing in the group stages will therefore be able to benefit from video assistance.

Teams competing in the Champions League and the Confederation Cup are preparing for the second and final qualifying round.