LONDON – To say that the video assistant referee (VAR) has been a controversial addition to football would be putting it mildly. That’s not to say it hasn’t added drama.
Take, for example, the Africa Cup of Nations semi-final between Nigeria and South Africa on Feb 7. One minute, Victor Osimhen had the ball in the net, and Nigeria were leading 2-0, only for VAR to intervene, roll back the play and then award South Africa a 90th-minute penalty. That made the scoreline 1-1 and the drama of extra time and penalties ensued before the Super Eagles prevailed.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you
