South Africa will have three match officials represented at an important Confederation of African Football (CAF) training camp in Egypt ahead of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup group stages.

CAF has released a list of 76 match officials who have been selected to attend the preparation course, which will take place in Cairo from 18 to 23 November.

The training programme will involve referees, assistant referees and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) officials as they prepare for the upcoming continental competitions.

Among the South Africans selected is Abongile Tom, who features on the CAF Elite A referees list. Tom is one of the country's most recognised referees and has already gained valuable experience at international level.

He was also part of the match officials at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. His latest selection means he will once again be involved in preparations for some of Africa's biggest club football competitions.

Jelly Chavani is another South African who has earned a place on the list. His selection is particularly important because it represents his first time being included in the preparation programme specifically for the Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages.

Chavani will have an opportunity to work alongside some of the continent's recognised match officials while preparing for the demands of the upcoming matches.

Akhona Makalima completes the South African representation after being selected for specialised VAR training. She is among 15 match officials chosen for this particular programme.

Her selection comes at an important time for African football because VAR will be introduced at the group stage of both competitions for the first time this season.

The training in Egypt will help prepare the selected officials for the use of the technology during the continental matches. This will be an important development as CAF prepares to bring VAR into this stage of its two major club competitions.

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

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

With three officials selected for the preparation programme, South Africa will have a presence both on the refereeing side and through its clubs during the upcoming continental campaigns.

Source: Soccer-Laduma