The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system will be deployed during the 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoffs scheduled for later this month.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles will continue their quest for a place at the 2026 World Cup when they take on Gabon in the playoff semi-final on Thursday, November 13, in Rabat, Morocco.
The team secured a playoff spot after finishing second in Group C and emerging as one of the best runners-up across the qualifying groups.
The playoffs will feature four teams—Nigeria, Gabon, DR Congo, and Cameroon. The winner of the Nigeria-Gabon clash will advance to face the victor of the DR Congo-Cameroon encounter for a spot at the global tournament.
CAF’s decision to introduce VAR at this stage represents a major shift, as the technology was not used during the earlier rounds of qualification.
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This inclusion could play a decisive role in Nigeria’s campaign, with every contentious call now subject to video review.
For example, Calvin Bassey’s goal against South Africa in the qualifiers might have been overturned for handball had VAR been in place.
On the other hand, Nigeria have suffered from controversial officiating in recent matches. One notable incident occurred when Victor Osimhen sustained an injury during the clash with Rwanda in August—a challenge that could have led to a red card if reviewed by VAR.
As they prepare for the playoffs in Morocco, the Super Eagles will hope the new technology works in their favour as they aim to book a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.