VAR Error in AFCON 2025: Benin Denied Penalty vs DR Congo for System Malfunction

AFCON 2025 kicked off in great fashion in Morocco, where teams from the length and breadth of Africa will compete to become the Champions of Africa. Amidst the jubilation, a major AFCON VAR Controversy has erupted in the Matchweek 1 Group D opener game featuring DR Congo vs Benin. This incident has sparked discussion on the fairness as it directly impacted the match result, with Congo winning the game 1-0.

Reports suggest that the Benin Football Association has lodged a complaint to the Confederation of African Football about the AFCON VAR Error that denied a clear penalty to Benin. In this article, we take a closer look at the incident that unfolded and how badly this will affect Group D's standings in AFCON 2025.

VAR Error Denied Potential Penalty to Benin

The Group D opener featuring DR Congo vs Benin took place last night at the Al Medina Stadium in the Moroccan capital city of Rabat. Theo Bongonda from Congo broke the deadlock in the 16th minute. In the final few minutes of the game, when Benin was pushing hard for the equaliser, Chancel Mbemba from Congo was seen handling the ball inside the penalty area.

The referee signalled for a VAR intervention, but later found that the VAR was not functioning for an extended period, leaving match officials without any video or highlights. The referee had no option but to deny a spot kick opportunity for Benin, and the game ended with Benin taking all three points.

Group D Standings after AFCON 2025 Matchweek 1

Group D in AFCON 2025 seems very competitive. After Matchweek 1, the Senegal national football team leads Group D with 3 points and +3 GD, followed by DR Congo, Benin and Botswana. The top two teams from Group D will qualify for the knockout stages, whereas the third-ranked team must aspire to end up in the top four best third-placed teams. In such a scenario, a point could have made a huge difference for Benin as they will next face Botswana and mighty Senegal in the last game.