Two South African match officials, Abongile Tom and Zakhele Siwela, have been selected to officiate at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, which will take place in Morocco next month.
Both officials, who have earned strong reputations across the continent and internationally, are among the 73 match officials appointed to take charge of matches and assist in CAF’s premier international tournament.
Tom recently officiated the 2026 FIFA World Cup CAF playoffs between Nigeria and Gabon in Morocco two weeks ago, where the Super Eagles advanced to the final stage. However, Nigeria went on to lose to DR Congo, who will move on to the World Cup playoffs scheduled for March next year.
Domestically, Tom has overseen several major cup finals in the PSL. He refereed last season’s MTN8 final, where Orlando Pirates defeated Stellenbosch 3-1 at Moses Mabhida Stadium. He also officiated the 2023/24 MTN8 final at the same venue, where Pirates overcame Mamelodi Sundowns on penalties. In addition, he took charge of the Nedbank Cup final in Durban, in which TS Galaxy stunned Kaizer Chiefs.
Siwela has also accumulated vast experience on the African and global stages. He served as an assistant referee in the AFCON 2022 final between Senegal and Egypt alongside South Africa’s no-nonsense referee, Victor Gomes—making history as the first time two South Africans officiated an AFCON final. Senegal won the match on penalties.
Siwela was also part of the officiating team at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where he was involved in one match.
At the previous AFCON edition, Tom and Akhona Makalima represented South Africa. The AFCON tournament, which will again be hosted in Morocco, will run from 21 December to 18 January 2026.
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