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#3 VAR makes a crucial intervention
Having been successfully implemented around the world over the last two years, Africa was rather slow to embrace the new technology of VAR, only introducing it in the final of the 2019 CAF Confederations Cup between Zamalek and RS Berkane in May. The situation turned controversial due to the technology being nonfunctional, causing the match to be abandoned and subsequently ordered to be replayed.
Ahead of the 2019 Afcon, CAF announced that VAR would only be used from the quarterfinal stage onwards and technology played a central role in the first fixture of the round between Senegal and Benin Republic where it helped overturn two goals by Sadio Mane.
In the game between South Africa and Nigeria, South Africa had a goal wrongly ruled out for offside, but VAR review showed that the ball came off the back of Odion Ighalo before being headed in by Bongani Zungu.
While VAR might have had its own fair share of controversies, it was spot on in awarding a perfect goal to South Africa.
