For most Kenyan football fans, their sole experience of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system is when they are watching their favourite football teams based in Europe.
However, by attending the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) that Kenya is set to co-host, they can get their first real-time experience of the novel piece of technology that has significantly changed the trajectory of football since its inception.
VAR is a technology-assisted officiating system in football designed to help the referee review decisions and correct "clear and obvious errors" or "serious missed incidents" in game-changing situations.
It operates under the philosophy of "minimal interference, maximum benefit," meaning it is only meant to intervene in specific, game-changing situations to correct clear mistakes.
VAR has already left its mark on football due to the sheer number of instances where it can be applied. It is now a familiar sequence for fans: the referee pauses play, listens to VAR via earpiece, and makes the iconic TV screen gesture while heading to the pitch-side monitor for review.
The process that precedes all that is straightforward and as per football regulations. A VAR team, comprising a main VAR (a qualified referee), Assistant VARs (AVARs), and a Replay Operator (RO), is stationed in a Video Operation Room (VOR), usually located at the stadium or a centralised broadcast center.
Their job is to be a shadow referee, keenly observing play and being alive to situations where the referee on the pitch may miss. They have access to numerous camera angles, including slow-motion and ultra-slow-motion feeds.
Currently, VAR can only intervene in four main types of incidents. These include goals to check for any infractions, like offside, foul, and handball, in the build-up to a goal. Another instance is penalty incidents, to check if a foul occurred inside or outside the penalty area, or if a foul deserving a penalty was missed, and vice versa.
It also comes in during red card incidents to check for serious foul play, violent conduct, or other red card offences that might have been missed or incorrectly assessed. It can also come in during cases of mistaken identity to ensure the correct player is sanctioned when the referee issues a yellow or red card.
Often, the VAR team performs a "silent check" without stopping play. If they confirm the on-field decision was correct, they communicate "check complete" to the referee, and the game continues without interruption.
If the VAR identifies a possible "clear and obvious error," they will recommend an On-Field Review (OFR) to the referee. For factual matters like offside or whether a foul was inside/outside the box, the VAR can directly advise the referee to overturn the decision without the referee needing to go to the monitor.
Since it was formally written into the rules of the game on March 3, 2018, VAR has split opinion, with some calling for its scrapping, while others are supportive, despite noting it could do with some improvements.
Now, those who head to CHAN games, whether at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani or Nyayo Stadium, will be able to experience the thrills and spills of VAR and live to tell the tale.
Even those who are unfamiliar with VAR have a chance to have a taste of the technology and gain more understanding of VAR and football overall.
CHAN has put the measures in place, already installing VAR monitors at Kasarani and Nyayo and bringing in qualified VAR referees.
Aside from VAR, Kenyans will experience the new-look Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums, upgraded to CAF and FIFA-required standards after significant investment by the government.
For instance, new pitches, changing rooms, washrooms, durable seats, a canopy at the Kasarani stadium, and improved amenities promise to ensure a worthy and memorable experience for fans and players alike.
The tournament will begin on Saturday, August 2, at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and end on Saturday, August 30, at the Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani, the capital of Kenya.
Kenya’s Harambee Stars will begin in a high-stakes clash against the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Sunday, August 3, in Kasarani. Tickets for the game have already sold out, with Kenyans expected to throng the stadium in droves to cheer on Benni McCarthy’s men.
