South African referee Abongile Tom will represent the country at the upcoming 2023 Fifa Men’s U20 World Cup in Indonesia in May.

The 31-year-old is expected to be the only South African match official representing the country at the tournament.

The rising match official will look to impress at the World Cup following his display at the 2023 African Nations Championship (CHAN) tournament.

SAFA head of referees Abdul Ebrahim says he is proud of Tom and that he will be flying the South African flag high in Indonesia.

“We are extremely proud of Abongile and his progress shows that we are developing world class match officials,” said Ebrahim.

“We are happy that we have another match official at the highest level so soon after Victor Gomez retired.

“We have set a benchmark as a department to ensure that we are represented at all major tournaments for both men and women.”

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