Former Chelsea and Roma coach, Jose Mourinho, has commended the officiating at the ongoing African Cup of Nations, AFCON.
This is coming after England and Manchester United Legend, Gary Neville appreciated the officiating of the 2023 AFCON.
The officiating levels have massively improved from two years ago in Cameroon where Zambian referee, Janny Sikazwe, bizarrely ended a game five minutes from time – twice.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) selected a group of 26 center referees, 30 assistant referees, and 12 VAR referees to oversee the tournament, which ends on February 11.
But the unsung heroes of the tournament have been the referees, their video assistants, and how the technology has been used in general across the six stadiums in Ivory Coast.
“I have watched AFCON more than European football. They are simply teaching us to be honest. In AFCON VAR is used exactly the way it should be used.
“They do not use it to help the money magnet teams or famous teams. This is why you saw the best out of every team. Because they know VAR is not hired behind the scenes but is for everyone.”
“They listen even to their Players if the Ref missed something and go check. In Europe, if I as a coach or a player plead with a ref to go check something, it is a red card for doing that. The headquarters for VAR needs to be in CAF” Mourinho Said
