Confederation of African Football (CAF) is reportedly set to replace South African referee Tom Abongile as the match official for next week’s 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff between Nigeria and Gabon, following mounting criticism over his appointment.
According to veteran Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwana, who shared an update on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday afternoon, an informed contact within the CAF system confirmed that Abongile would no longer officiate the high-profile clash in Rabat, Morocco.
“Tom [Abongile] will not officiate Nigeria vs Gabon and will be replaced soon,” the contact reportedly told him.
“It was a very controversial decision to appoint him for this game. There has been a lot of pressure from all corners.”
The source also revealed that the initial plan had been to allocate referees for the semi-final playoff matches based on regional groupings within African football, a move that has now sparked discontent.
“For the Nigeria v Gabon match, it was allocated to a referee from COSAFA, and the Cameroon vs DR Congo game to a referee from CECAFA, with the final match being handled by an official from North Africa,” the contact explained.
“Instead of giving the matches to the best referees on the continent, referees were appointed on a regional basis. This is wrong and responsible for the current situation.”
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The controversy erupted earlier this week after FIFA named three South Africans Tom Abongile (centre referee), Zakhele Siwela (assistant), and Akhona Makalima (VAR) to handle the Super Eagles’ semi-final against the Panthers of Gabon.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has already lodged a formal protest to FIFA, copied to CAF, questioning the neutrality of the appointments amid recent tensions between Nigeria and South African football authorities.
As of Friday afternoon, neither FIFA nor CAF had issued an official statement on any change to the referee lineup.
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The Super Eagles, led by head coach Eric Chelle, will face Gabon next week in Rabat for a place in the playoff final.
