2026 World Cup: PSL referees appointed as AFCON 2025 final official is snubbed

South African referees Abongile Tom and Zakhele Siwela have been named to the official list of match officials for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada.

While this marks the first World Cup appointment for Tom, the highly experienced Siwela will be officiating in his third consecutive tournament, having previously run the lines at the 2018 and 2022 editions.

Tom, 34, is widely considered the top referee in the PSL and has been on the FIFA panel since 2020. His international experience includes officiating at the 2023 and 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he notably took charge of a quarterfinal match.

 Who is joining Tom at the World Cup?

He joins a prestigious list of South African referees to have officiated at a World Cup, including Ian McLeod (1998), Jerome Damon (2010), and Victor Gomes (2022).

Tom is among seven centre referees appointed from Africa for the World Cup, the others being Jayeed Jalal from Morocco, Somalia’s Omar Abdul, Atcho Pierre from Gabon, Algeria’s Mustapha Ghorbal, Egyptian Amin Mohamed, and Beida Ivan of Mauritania.

South Africans among African refs appointed

Meanwhile, Siwela joins a list of 10 assistant referees appointed for the World Cup from Africa, the others being Mostafa Akarkad of Morocco, Egyptians Mahmoud Abdouelregal and Ahmed Hossam, Amos Abeigne and Boris Ditsoga, both from Gabon, Algerian duo Mokrane Gourari and Abbes Akram Algeria, Cameroonian Elvis Noupue as well as Jerson Santos from Angola.

There will be two VAR officials from Africa, being Egyptian Ashour Mahmoud and Morocco’s Hamza El Fariq but there was no room for Congolese Jean-Jacques Ndala, who took charge of the controversial 2025 Africa Cup of Nations final between Morocco and Senegal.