While Bafana Bafana prepare to face Mexico, South African referee Abongile Tom is getting ready to realize his ultimate dream on the world stage. Photo: Backpagepix
Image: Backpagepix
Abongile Tom is about to realise his wildest dream. He admits, however, that it wouldn’t have been possible without enduring hardships and making sacrifices along the way.
Bafana Bafana will be the nation’s focal point when the Fifa World Cup gets underway this month in North America, especially since they’ll face co-hosts Mexico in the opening game at Azteca Stadium next week Thursday.
However, Fifa-accredited referee Tom will also be flying the South African flag high as he’s been selected to officiate at the World Cup for the first time in his career, joining an elite group of South Africans that include Ian McLeod (1998), Jerome Damon (2010 and 2006), Victor Gomes (2022) and Zakhele Siwela. The latter will be participating in his third successive World Cup, after making the cut in the 2018 and 2022 editions.
Born in Old Crossroads, Nyanga, in the Western Cape, Tom’s ascension to the biggest football event in the world is based on a solid foundation of a proper upbringing and understanding that it takes discipline and focus to overcome the barriers of one of the most crime-ridden townships in the country.
“One thing that I would say I had an advantage of, was strict parents,” Tom recalled, while on the sidelines of Bafana Bafana’s presidential send-off in Pretoria last week.
“By 6pm, the gate had to be closed and lights had to be put on. If you are outside by 6pm, you might find yourself sleeping outside.
“It wasn’t easy growing up in the township. I can count a number of players who have lost their lives to crime. It was fortunate that we also played football. It’s the escape because without it people tend to be involved in other things.”
Tom concedes that the guidance of his parents alone wasn’t enough – he still had to make sure that he did his part in staying away from illegal activities.
“The parents are not with you on the street or at school; you need to tell yourself what you want to achieve,” Tom said. “When you make the right friends and choices, you’ll achieve those things.”
While football was one of his escapes, Tom, quickly realised that his strength was in refereeing rather than playing.
“I played, and still play, football. But I wasn’t the most gifted player,” Tom reflected. “I saw a road that was less travelled.
“Someone said, ‘my brother, I think this is meant for you, leave this football, and focus on refereeing. I think you can go somewhere’. That is where it started, and the journey has continued since.”
Football and refereeing wasn’t the only focus for Tom — he also served as a law enforcer, after joining SAPS. He struck a balance between being a referee and police officer earlier on. But after working hard across the board in both sectors, he became a Fifa-accredited referee in 2020 and a constable in the police force
His rise over the years as a match official — he officiated the Nedbank Cup final in 2019 between Kaizer Chiefs and TS Galaxy — has earned him a continental reputation. He was notably a fourth official in the recent Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco earlier this year.
Due to the demands of both jobs, Tom has since decided to quit SAPS and focus entirely on officiating. This decision comes as referees are now being paid a monthly stipend by Safa —approximately R30 000, including match benefits, since 2021.
“In refereeing, it’s not a permanent job, but it has sustained us for the past 20 to 30 months,” Tom reflected. “This means there’s life in refereeing.
“The demands were too high when it came to SAPS. Even though I wish I could have continued with both, the pressure was too much. We’d leave for two months sometimes. I don’t think there’s any job that would want an employee to leave for that long.
“It was a bit strenuous – coming from a game and straight to work, and vice versa. So, I had to find a balance and be honest with myself. I don’t regret the decision even to this day," Tom concluded.