FIFA World Cup: List of African referees out, no Abongile Tom
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will have no South African referee after Abongile Tom was overlooked for the finals in Mexico, Canada and the US.
FIFA has released the list of African referees will officiate at the World Cup finals which will get underway in June.
And surprisingly, South Africa will NOT have any of their match officials at the global showpiece.
Expectations were that Abongile Tom would make the cut after impressing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals.
However, this has not been the case as FIFA opted for Jean-Jacques Ndala, the man who was at the centre of AFCON final controversy between Senegal and Morocco.
Nonetheless, the COSAFA region will have a representative at the FIFA World Cup in VAR official Letticia Viana from Eswatini.
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FIFA WORLD CUP: SOUTH AFRICAN REFEREES OVERLOOKED
REFEREES
1. Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria)
2. Jean-Jacques Ndala (DR Congo)
3. Amin Omar (Egypt)
4. Pierre Atcho (Gabon)
5. Dahane Beida (Mauritania)
VAR OFFICIALS
1. Lahlou Benbraham (Algeria)
2. Mahmoud Ashour (Egypt)
3. Letticia Viana (Eswatini)
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The last South African-born referee to officiate at the FIFA World Cup was the late Ian McLeod in 1998.
Retired referee Jerome Damon was preselected for the 2010 edition on home soil but never officiated a match.
At one stage, Victor Gomes was one of the best referees on the African continent but he was also overlooked for FIFA World Cup finals before retiring.