Guinea FA schedules practical VAR training for referees in Conakry

The Guinean Football Federation will organise a practical training course on the use of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system for referees from March 9 to 13 at the Cherif Souleymane National Technical Centre in Nongo, as part of efforts to strengthen officiating standards in the country.

The five-day programme will be delivered by experienced African VAR specialists, including Mamadou Haidara of Mali, an instructor and acting head of the refereeing department at the Confederation of African Football (CAF). He will be joined by CAF instructors Mohamed Guezzaz of Morocco and Abed Charef Mehdi of Algeria.

Two technicians from Egypt are also expected in Conakry to install a mobile VAR unit that will be used throughout the training exercise.

According to the federation, the practical workshop follows an earlier theoretical course that introduced participating referees to the basic concepts and operational framework of VAR technology.

During the training, referees will take part in practical sessions and simulated match scenarios designed to help them better understand decision-making protocols and the proper application of VAR in live-game situations.

The Guinean Football Federation said the programme forms part of its broader strategy to modernise refereeing and enhance the capacity of match officials in line with international standards set for the use of video review technology in football.