The South African refereeing team of Abongile Tom, Zakhele Siwela and Lesotho’s Souru Phatsoane will be back in action tonight, officiating in the highly anticipated Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) semi-finals between Nigeria and Morocco.
The match will take place at the Prince Moulay Abdallah Stadium in Rabat, and kick-off is at 10pm.
Award-winning PSL referee Tom will not be officiating on the field. He will be operating behind TV screens as the video assistant referee (VAR). Veteran linesman Siwela and Phatsoane will serve as assistant referees on the field.
Trio adept at VAR
The trio have worked together since the tournament started. And they have performed admirably. As such, they are still part of the esteemed group that has remained at the tournament until these last stages.
Tom is one of the few South African referees who have been fully trained to utilise VAR despite the country not having yet adopted the technology.
Uncompromising female and PSL referee Akhona Makalima is also in action. She is another South African referee who has been on VAR duty at the Afcon currently taking place in Morocco.
Sterling performance at quarterfinal
Last week Friday, the threesome officiated in the blockbuster quarterfinal between Senegal and Mali. And they handled the temperamental clash with confidence and poise.
Tom and his crew were showered with praises by their former colleagues after they held their nerves and gave a good account of themselves. Senegal defeated the tough Malians 1-0, thanks to a first-half goal by Iliman Ndiaye. He benefitted from a blunder by goalkeeper Djigui Diarra. For the second straight game, Tom handed a red card to a Mali player in this tournament.
Former Fifa referee Victor Hlungwane is of the opinion that Tom, who often attracts unwarranted criticism in the Betway Premiership and other domestic cup competitions, has handled himself in a professional manner. And also that he deserves to be praised and to be given more matches.
Siwela is no stranger to officiating at big Afcon encounters. Despite working at various Afcon tournaments since 2015, he was running the line in the 2021 Afcon final between Egypt and Senegal at the Yaounde-Stade Olembe in Cameroon. Senegal defeated the Pharaohs via penalty kicks.
