RABAT Mike Bibby Jersey , Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology will be introduced for the first time in Africa during the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which is being staged in Morocco between 13 January and 4 February, the Confederation of African Football announced on Wednesday.


A mock-up of the VAR technology will be conducted on Wednesday in Casablanca during day two of the Group A matches, the CAF said in a statement.


The tournament, which is for African footballers based in their own domestic leagues Shareef Abdur-Rahim Jersey , features 16 teams in four groups.


It will be tested during the games between Morocco and Guinea as well as between Sudan and Mauritania.


The mock-up is a requirement of the International Football Association Board.


The CAF intends to experiment with VAR from the knockout stages of the tournament, it added.


A two-man delegation from FIFA, in charge of VAR project for the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, has since arrived in Casablanca to provide assistance, support and supervision for the offline sessions Allen Iverson Jersey , it also pointed out.


Eddy Maillet, CAF Refereeing Manager said the FIFA duo will work together with their African counterparts for the sessions.


"The FIFA experts will test the devices to be used for the exercise in a real match situation. It will also involve two referees and one assistant referee in a cabin communicating to the match officials on the pitch for matches in Casablanca," he said.




Defending champion Roger Federer welcomed the emergence of new challengers after several unseeded players made the Australian Open semifinals for the first time in nearly 20 years.


The Swiss 19-time grand slam champion will face 21-year-old South Korean Chung Hyeon in one semifinal, while 23-year-old Briton Kyle Edmund will take on former US Open champion Marin Cilic in the other.


The last time so many unfamiliar faces reached the last four in Melbourne was in 1999 when Tommy Haas, Thomas Enqvist and Niclas Lapenti made the semis.


“I think it’s a good thing. They got to make a move. I find it disappointing when their breakthroughs come at 27 Vince Carter Jersey , because then we know them for seven years, let’s say,” 36-year-old Federer said after beating Tomas Berdych 7-6 (1), 6-3, 6-4 on Wednesday.


“I like it when we don’t know the guys. I hardly know Chung. I’ve hardly spoken to him. I had one (sponsor’s) appearance once with Edmund over in London. That’s about it.”


Federer expects the men’s game to become more unpredictable with a change back to 16 seeds Tony Allen Jersey , rather than 32, in slams.


“We like our rivalries that do exist on the tour. New names are good, from time to time, of course for the tour. I think next year when we’ll have 16 seeds, it’s going to be quite different Tyreke Evans Jersey ,” said Federer, who has reached his 43rd grand slam semifinal and is favorite to win a 20th major.


Chung defeated six-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic in the last 16 and followed up by beating Tennys Sandgren 6-4, 7-6 (5), 6-3 on Wednesdayy.


Chung became the first Korean to make a grand slam tennis semifinal.


“In last game, I think at 40-love ... if I win one more point Zach Randolph Grizzlies Jersey , I make history in Korea. I have to think about the ceremony, something,” he said, explaining how he got slightly ahead of himself.


“After deuce, break point. I was like Marc Gasol Grizzlies Jersey , no, nothing to do with ceremony. But just keep playing — keep focused.”


Then he fully embraced the moment, joking in an on-court TV interview, introducing the audience to his parents and his coach, and taking the microphone to speak in Korean to millions of new tennis fans back home.


“I think all the people is watching Australian Open now because we make history in Korea Mike Conley Grizzlies Jersey ,” he said.


The No. 58-ranked Chung is the lowest-ranked man to reach the semifinals since Marat Safin