Gernot Rohr Slams CAF After VAR Controversy Denied Benin Republic Penalty Against DR Congo
- Gernot Rohr blasted CAF after VAR failed during a key moment in Benin Republic’s loss to DR Congo
- Benin Republic were denied a potential penalty after VAR went offline for 15 minutes
- Rohr accused CAF of disregarding smaller countries and criticised the tournament organisation
Former Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has launched a scathing attack on the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following a controversial VAR failure during Benin Republic’s 1-0 defeat to DR Congo at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The Benin head coach, who took the role after leaving Nigeria, was left furious after what he described as a “clear penalty” was denied when VAR went offline at a crucial moment in the second half.
Source: Getty Images
VAR drama overshadows DR Congo win
DR Congo, who currently have a petition pending at FIFA submitted by the NFF, opened their AFCON 2025 campaign with a narrow 1-0 victory over Benin at the Al Madina Stadium in Rabat on Tuesday, December 23.
According to beIN Sports, Theo Bongonda scored the only goal of the match in the 16th minute after reacting quickest to a long ball that caught the Benin defence flat-footed.
While the Leopards celebrated a winning start, the match was largely overshadowed by a major officiating controversy.
Source: Getty Images
Midway through the second half, VAR was unavailable for approximately 15 minutes due to technical issues, Foot Africa reports.
During that period, Benin appealed for a penalty after DR Congo defender Chancel Mbemba appeared to handle the ball inside the box.
With VAR down and the referee unable to review the incident, play continued, leaving Benin players visibly frustrated and sparking heated protests on the pitch.
Rohr slams CAF after VAR drama
Speaking after the match, an angry Rohr did not mince his words, questioning both the competence and fairness of CAF’s officiating at the tournament.
“I am very angry about the quality of refereeing at this AFCON. What is happening to the VAR? We were denied a penalty. Things are going crazy with CAF.”
The German coach went further, suggesting that Benin were being treated unfairly due to their status as a smaller footballing nation.
“It seems Benin is disregarded because we are a small country. This is a big mess.”
Rohr’s comments echo growing concerns among teams about consistency in refereeing and the reliability of VAR technology at the AFCON.
Rohr also revealed that Benin’s frustrations with tournament organisation extended beyond the controversial penalty call.
According to the Franco-German coach, a member of his technical staff was denied access to an empty stadium in Tangier while attempting to scout another AFCON match.
“I sent my staff to Tangier for scouting and he was not even allowed into an empty stadium. He had to watch on TV somewhere.”
Rohr’s comments have added to mounting pressure on CAF to address operational and officiating shortcomings early in the tournament.
Benin submits petition against DR Congo
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Benin Republic has reportedly submitted an official petition to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after their 1-0 loss to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Cheetahs fell to a defeat in their opening match after Theo Bongonda capitalised on a defensive mix-up to give the Leopards the only goal, which was enough for the win.
Source: Legit.ng
