FIFA has confirmed the appointment of South African referee Tom Abongile to officiate the FIFA World Cup 2026 African Zone Play-Off Semifinal between Nigeria and Gabon, scheduled for November 13, 2025, in Rabat, Morocco.
The crucial encounter will take place at the C.S. Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Stadium, with kickoff set for 17:00 hrs local time (16:00 GMT).
The match marks a decisive stage in Africa’s qualification race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Abongile will lead a team of experienced officials, including Santos Jerson Emiliano Dos of Angola and Siwela Zakhele Thusi Granville of South Africa as assistant referees,
while, Ahmad Imtehaz Heerallall from Mauritius will serve as the fourth official.
Similarly the VAR control room is led by South Africa’s Akhona Zennith Makalima and Maria Packuita Cynquela Rivet (Mauritius) was appointed as the AVAR.
Additional appointments include Adjovi Hugues Alain from Benin as Referee Assessor, Saquee Prince Kai from Sierra Leone as Match Commissioner, Kizuguto Baraka from Tanzania as General Coordinator, and Mahamdioua Imad-Eddine from Algeria as Security Officer.
The officiating appointments were confirmed in a letter signed by Gordon Savic, FIFA’s Head of Qualifiers and International Matches.
The appointment of South Africa officials for the crucial match reignites the rivalry between Nigeria and South Africa during the group stage .
Recall, the Super Eagles previously lost the automatic qualification spot to Bafana Bafana during the group stage of the qualifiers.
The South Africa almost conceded the automatic qualification spot after FIFA removed three points, three goals for fielding ineligible Thembo Mokoena in one of the matches
The stage for another high-stakes encounter in Africa’s World Cup journey of the Super Eagles, with the fans are sure to have their eyes the center referee from South Africa.
