South Africa will have three match officials involved in preparations for the upcoming CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup group stages after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced its latest selection of referees.

CAF has released a 76-member list of match officials who will attend a preparation camp in Egypt from 18 to 23 November. The programme will take place in Cairo and will include referees, assistant referees and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials.

Among those selected is Abongile Tom, who continues to represent South Africa at a high level in international football. The experienced referee features on the CAF Elite A list and has already been involved in major international competitions.

Tom was also part of the match officials at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, making him no stranger to important assignments on the international stage. His latest selection gives him another opportunity to prepare for top-level continental football.

Jelly Chavani has also been included in CAF's selection. His inclusion is an important step in his refereeing career, as this will be the first time he has been selected for the preparation programme specifically ahead of the Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages.

The opportunity will allow Chavani to join other selected officials in Cairo as they prepare for the challenges of the upcoming continental fixtures.

Akhona Makalima completes South Africa's representation. She has been selected for the specialised VAR training programme and is among 15 match officials chosen for this particular course.

Her selection comes ahead of an important development in African club football. For the first time, VAR will be introduced during the group stages of both the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup this season.

The introduction of the technology means that the selected officials will need to be properly prepared for their responsibilities during matches. The Cairo training camp will provide an opportunity to work on the requirements involved in using VAR at this level of competition.

The first round of group-stage matches is scheduled for the weekend of 27 to 29 November, with the final round expected towards the end of January 2027.

South Africa will also have two clubs competing in the continental competitions. Orlando Pirates will represent the country in the CAF Champions League, while Durban City will participate in the CAF Confederation Cup.

With Tom, Chavani and Makalima included in CAF's latest selection, South Africa will have three representatives involved in preparations for the upcoming African club football campaign.

Source: Soccer-Laduma