South Africa will have representation on and off the pitch at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with referee Abongile Tom and assistant referee Zakhele Siwela both confirmed on the final list of match officials for the tournament.
Tom is among 52 referees appointed for the tournament, which runs from 11 June to 19 July across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, while Siwela is part of the 88-strong assistant referee pool.
Cape Town-born Tom, 34, is regarded as the top match official in the Premier Soccer League and has held FIFA referee status since 2020. It will be the first time the highly rated official steps onto the World Cup stage capping a rapid rise through the ranks of African football officiating.
Tom officiated at the 2023 and 2025 editions of the Africa Cup of Nations, where he took charge of the quarter-final between eventual champions Senegal and Mali. At the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, he also served as fourth assistant in the final in Rabat.
Three Up For Siwela
For Siwela, the appointment adds another chapter to an already distinguished career. This will be his third appearance at a World Cup, having previously served as an assistant referee at the 2018 tournament in Russia and the 2022 edition in Qatar.
South Africa’s Tom is one of seven African referees selected for the 2026 World Cup, alongside Mustapha Ghorbal of Algeria, Egypt’s Amin Mohamed, Gabon’s Pierre Atcho, Morocco’s Jalal Jayed, Mauritania’s Dahane Beida, and Somalia’s Omar Artan.
The appointments come after considerable scrutiny of African officiating following the controversy surrounding the 2025 AFCON final. Notably absent from the final list are Jean-Jacques Ndala of DR Congo and Senegal’s Issa Sy.
Ndala officiated the 2025 AFCON final between Senegal and Morocco, where his decisions, including disallowing a Senegalese goal and awarding a penalty to Morocco, led to a walkout by the Teranga Lions. While CAF did not sanction him, FIFA chose to exclude him from the World Cup selection.
The inclusions of Tom and Siwela mean South Africa will have a presence at the World Cup beyond Bafana Bafana, who qualified automatically from Group C of CAF’s final qualifying round.
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