‘Why don’t we have VAR in Africa?’ - Queiroz demands change after Ghana defeat

Carlos Queiroz has called for the introduction of VAR in Africa after Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier in Bouaké. The Ghana coach was left frustrated by the penalty awarded to the hosts in the second half, with Franck Kessié converting from the spot to double Côte d’Ivoire’s lead after Malick Yalcouyé had opened the scoring. Queiroz acknowledged Côte d’Ivoire’s performance but directed his strongest criticism at the officiating and the lack of video assistance in the match. “But, nothing to do with Ivory Coast, they played very well, they played very well, all players played very well, congratulations, but I cannot give the congratulations to the referee,” Queiroz said. The Portuguese coach questioned why VAR was not available for a major African competition, arguing that technology could help prevent controversial decisions from influencing matches. “Why we don't have VAR in Africa? What is the reason we don't have VAR in one African Cup of Nations?” he asked. Queiroz said the absence of VAR was particularly difficult to understand given the importance of the AFCON qualification campaign. “We don't have VAR to help the referee to make the game fair,” he added. The 73-year-old also drew on his personal connection with the continent to underline his frustration with what he described as recurring refereeing problems. “I was born in Mozambique, I grew up here, I'm tired of these situations, of these referees that don't do a good job,” he concluded. Ghana started their Group C campaign with the defeat and will now have to respond when they host The Gambia in Accra on September 29. Côte d’Ivoire, meanwhile, take the early advantage in the group after securing three points against their West African rivals. *Source: [3News](https://3news.com/sports/why-dont-we-have-var-in-africa-queiroz-demands-change-after-ghana-defeat)*