World Cup 2026: South Africa’s Abongile Tom named fourth official for Germany vs Curaçao clash

South African referee Abongile Tom has been appointed as fourth official for the FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage match between Germany and Curaçao, scheduled for Sunday.

The appointment places Tom on the officiating team for one of the early headline fixtures of the tournament, as the two sides prepare to open their Group stage campaigns in what is expected to be a closely watched encounter.

The match will be led by Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed, with compatriots Zakaria Brinssi and Mostafa Akarkad serving as assistant referees.

Tom’s role as fourth official will see him responsible for overseeing administrative and technical duties on the touchline, including coordination of substitutions and assisting the referee team with match management when required.

The assignment marks another notable international appointment for the South African official, who has steadily risen through the ranks of CAF and FIFA refereeing structures in recent years. His inclusion in the World Cup officiating pool reflects FIFA’s continued confidence in emerging refereeing talent from across Africa.

The Germany–Curaçao fixture is part of the opening round of group-stage matches in the expanded 2026 tournament format, which features a larger pool of participating nations and a broader global refereeing panel.

For South Africa, Tom’s appointment adds to the country’s growing presence on the world stage of match officiating, reinforcing its reputation for producing officials trusted at elite international level.

The match is expected to draw significant global attention as Germany begin another World Cup campaign against a Curaçao side making a rare appearance on football’s biggest stage.