SA whistlemen in line for Morocco

Both Alfred Chavani and Abongile Tom have been included on the shortlist for the refereeing panel for this year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals in Morocco, along with veteran Zakhele Siwela on the line.

There are 33 referees and 88 linesmen on the list of possible candidates for the tournament, which starts on 21 December.

Tom, 33, refereed at the last Cup of Nations finals in the Ivory Coast, taking charge of three matches including a tie in the round of 16, and more recently handling World Cup qualifying matches involving Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Chavani, from Venda, is on the panel for the Under-17 World Cup which kicks off in Qatar on Monday. If selected for Morocco, he would be off to his first Cup of Nations finals but took charge of three matches at the August’s African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

Siwela ran the line at the 2021 Cup of Nations final in Cameroon, which Victor Gomes refereed, and has been to a total of six Afcon tournaments.

But he was surprisingly omitted from the last Cup of Nations finals in Ivory Coast.

The 43-year-old also officiated at the last two World Cup finals, and is arguably the most successful South African referee.