PSL referee Abongile Tom was part of a team of officials at the Africa Cup of Nations that received a lot of praise for the tremendous work they did throughout the tournament. The praise came from beyond African borders, as analysts such as Manchester United legend Gary Neville marvelled at the work that was performed. In his first Afcon, Tom made a mark, officiating in three matches, including one of the knockout games. His work has not gone unnoticed, as he has been included in the preliminary list for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Soccer Laduma's Tshepang Mailwane spoke to the affable but no-nonsense referee about his first Afcon, working with VAR and how he deals with criticism.
Tshepang Mailwane: Abongile, congratulations on a job well done at the Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast. How would you wrap up your work at the tournament as a referee?
Abongile Tom: To be honest, I would say I personally and we, as a group, had a very good tournament. It's very rare to finish up a tournament and the whole public is satisfied, you know. You saw some comments from European analysts who were saying the same thing. That is all thanks to the work that was done by our instructors, both the technical and physical instructors. It's a build-up from way back. We've had courses, which I think is a true reflection of the good performance we had as match officials in the Afcon. For me, personally, if I were to analyse myself, I was personally happy with the performance I showed. Even though there are small things one can work on… it might not be visible to the public, but knowing the technicalities of refereeing, I am able to say, 'I should have run this way instead of that way to have a clearer view.' So, those are the small technicalities you go through. And through our analysis, you know that there is something that should be done in a better way. But, for my first Afcon, I am very happy with the performance that I have shown.
TM: One of the Europeans who mentioned Afcon and the use of VAR was Manchester United legend Gary Neville. How important was this good performance for the image of African football because a lot has been said in the past about officiating on the continent?
AT: Firstly, it was more important to us as Africans than it was to the world because I believe if you are not satisfied yourself, then you cannot expect someone else to be satisfied. So, it was important to us first. But it was also good to hear (the sentiment) from outside Africa. We will grab those compliments, especially in refereeing. With refereeing, it's a compliment today and then tomorrow it all vanishes. So, you will pick up the flowers while the people are still giving them to you at that particular time. It was great to hear people speaking about the performance and the use of VAR.
TM: On the flipside, are there any decisions you look back at and feel you did not do well?
AT: I think I was fortunate that most decisions that I took were correct and I was in the correct place. I had a VAR intervention in one game because sometimes football is so quick that if you take your eyes off for a split-second, then a lot can happen. Maybe it speaks to high levels of concentration for 90 minutes, because if you lose one or two seconds of concentration, that's when most things tend to transpire.
TM: Talk to us about the VAR intervention that you had…
AT: I think it was Nigeria v Equatorial Guinea. It's the game that finished 1-1. I was happy to go to the screen because it's not every day that you get a second chance, to be able to come back and make the correct decision.
TM: In that moment when you go to the VAR screen, how much pressure are you under because all eyes in the stadium and on TV are on you? It's like when a player has to take a penalty…
AT: The moment you are being called for a review, it's a relief because it gives you a second chance to look at something that you might not have seen. For me, it's not pressure because if you start putting pressure on yourself, the analysis you will be doing on the screen will be affected by the pressure. That's when you should be more relaxed and openminded to be able to analyse the whole complexion of the incident that transpired.
TM: You officiated until the Last 16. Were you disappointed that you did not get a chance to work on the pitch in the latter stages of the competition?
AT: I officiated until the Last 16 and then I worked VAR after that. To be honest, we all dream of doing the biggest finals, but there is a saying that goes: 'A good dancer always leaves the stage while it's still good.' For me, the image that everyone will remember me with is a good one. Also, South Africa had qualified, so it makes it a little bit difficult for you to continue with the tournament because the games you will be doing might be limited. So, South Africa qualified, and I don't think my personal achievements are bigger than the country's achievements. I am happy for the opportunity and happy that I managed to even do three games, you understand?
TM: 100 percent…
AT: So, we do not know what might have happened had they not qualified, but they deserved to be there. I've got five or six more Afcons that I can go to and still fight.
TM: How much of a difference is there from officiating at Afcon and in the PSL?
AT: There is not much of a difference. There were PSL-based players at Afcon. The only difference is that it's the biggest competition in Africa. This is where all the African stars gather together and play to win it. So, this is like the World Cup of Africa. That on its own is pressurising. The standard of football still remains the same, but this was one special Afcon. If I were to rate this one, I would say the standards were very high. There was no small or big team. There were no predictable results. Everyone had to be on their toes and we as referees also had to be on our toes. We had to match the level of competence.
TM: Speaking of the World Cup, you are on the preliminary list of referees for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Does this show that the work you did at the Africa Cup of Nations did not go unnoticed?
AT: It goes back to the question where you asked if I am satisfied with refereeing until the Last 16. It shows that the performance did not go unnoticed. I am happy and I feel privileged to be selected to be part of the preliminary list for the World Cup. It has always been a dream. If you become a referee and do not have dreams of going to the World Cup… it's like players dreaming of playing for the biggest teams and playing in the biggest tournaments. I am privileged, but that's where the hard work continues. There is no room for relaxation. It's double or triple the effort. That's how much it means to me to be part of that list and for me to fight to be part of the final list. There are times when I don't feel like going to training, but then I tell myself, 'Just do this for the World Cup.' This was five or six years back, before I was even in my prime as far as the PSL is concerned. So, the World Cup dream comes from way back, five or six years back. When I saw the likes of Jerome Damon and Zakhele Siwela, people I have rubbed shoulders with, I told myself that I want the achievements that these people have had. If they can come sit with me at the same table and they have been to such events, why can I not fight to be there?
TM: It's definitely possible. Coming back to the PSL, things have not always been smooth for you, including an announcement of your suspension by SAFA earlier this season…
AT: I have seen articles about that, but it's not something that I know. So, it's not something I can comment about.
TM: So, it's not something that happened?
AT: It's not something that I know of. I saw it on social media, so it's not something I can divulge in.
TM: But how do you deal with criticism as a referee?
AT: If you come into this field and you can't handle criticism, then you are in the wrong field. Because it's not only for referees. Here is a typical example… There are players in the Bafana Bafana squad that were being criticised before the tournament even started. They were criticised after the first game (against Mali), but those same players are taken (regarded) as heroes. Sometimes, critics are only for that moment in time for a person who is not satisfied based on their personal beliefs. I welcome criticism, especially constructive criticism. I welcome it with an open heart because I am not perfect. I am human and I make mistakes, and we are not proud of those mistakes. No one leaves home to say, 'Today I am going to make a bad decision.' A striker would miss five one-on-one opportunities in one game, so those things happen. I take the criticism, with a pinch of salt sometimes. I can be criticised today, but it does not mean tomorrow I won't go to a game.
TM: Looking at how the bar was raised in terms of refereeing at the biennial tournament, how do we bring that to the domestic league?
AT: The Afcon and the World Cup are successful today because they've got VAR. I will always emphasise VAR, VAR, VAR! There are decisions that when you go home, you think that if I had a second chance, I would have done it better. You can see teams have these small gadgets and devices where they analyse and do all these things. Technology is part of football, so that's the biggest wish, for us to push VAR as quickly as possible. But for the time being, we just need to train harder and be extra vigilant. Some decisions, to be honest, are not possible with the naked eye, but like I say, we just need to be extra concentrated and try by all means to be in the correct position at the correct time to make the correct decision. Everything happens so fast and some things people do not even see when they are at the stadium and we have a split-second to make that decision.
TM: Incredible insight from a referee…
AT: Refereeing is not a matter of running and being close and then making a decision. Refereeing is being able to analyse the teams that you are doing. We have to think for the layers. For example, when a player has the ball, you need to think where that ball is possibly going next. When you get there, you need to ask, 'Should I commit myself? What if they cross the ball before I get there?' So, you need to think about all these things. We are not just running up and down on the field. We think on our feet. It's not easy.
TM: That means your levels of fitness have to, at times, be even higher than those of the players.
AT: You have to be double times the players' (fitness). I've got my ice baths weekly for injury prevention and I've got my massages weekly because I need to be at the top levels of fitness at every given time.
TM: Well said. Thank you so much for your time, Mr Tom. We can't wait to see you at the World Cup.
AT: Thank you.
