A technical VAR failure prevented a crucial late penalty review for Benin during their 1-0 loss to DR Congo at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Democratic Republic of Congo secured a 1-0 victory over Benin in their AFCON Group D opener, but the match was overshadowed by a significant VAR malfunction.
Theo Bongonda scored the decisive goal early on, capitalizing on a defensive lapse by Yohan Roche.
While the technology successfully intervened earlier to disallow a second DRC goal for offside, it failed at a critical juncture in the second half when Benin appealed for a handball.
The controversy erupted when DRC captain Chancel Mbemba appeared to block a cross with his arm.
Despite the potential for a match-altering penalty, referee Abongile Tom was unable to review the incident because the pitchside monitor stopped working.
Replays remained inconclusive, and officials later confirmed the system had failed. The glitch left Benin unable to equalize, sparking outrage within their camp as they slumped to a narrow defeat.
Benin head coach Gernot Rohr praised his team’s resilience despite the technical drama.
Addressing the media, he stated: “We witnessed a very good football match that did not deserve a loser. My team made me proud.
We will now prepare well for the match against Botswana, with the advantage of having our suspended players back.”
Meanwhile, VAR was restored for the day’s subsequent fixture between Burkina Faso and Equatorial Guinea.