FIFA Appoints South African Referees for Nigeria vs Gabon World Cup Playoff Match
FIFA - South African referees - The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has appointed a team of South African match officials for the forthcoming Super Eagles’ World Cup playoff clash against Gabon.
South Africa’s Tom Abongile has been named as the centre referee for Nigeria’s semi-final fixture. He will be assisted by his compatriot Zakhele Siwela, who will serve as one of the assistant referees, while Akhona Makalima will take charge of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) duties.
In addition, Hughes Ndjovi from the Benin Republic has been appointed as the referee assessor for the match.
The Super Eagles are set to face Gabon on November 13 at the Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Rabat, Morocco.
The winner of the encounter will go on to face either Congo DR or Cameroon in the final playoff to secure Africa’s sole slot for the intercontinental playoff round.
Nigeria reached the playoff stage after Frank Onyeka’s late goal earned victory over the Benin Republic in October. The Super Eagles defeated Benin 4–0 on the final day to seal qualification as one of the four best runners-up in the group stage.
Meanwhile, FIFA’s appointment of South African officials has sparked outrage among Nigerian fans on social media, as Nigeria, South Africa, and Benin Republic were all drawn in Group C of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
South Africa topped the group to secure an automatic World Cup ticket, although their qualification campaign had earlier faced controversy after FIFA overturned their win over Lesotho for fielding an ineligible player.
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