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Abongile Tom Quotes
born 1991 South Africa
Abongile Tom (born 16 December 1991) is a South African international football referee who has been a listed international referee for FIFA since 2020. He officiated at the 2026 Men's FIFA World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada.
Random Abongile Tom quote
8 quotes
In refereeing, it’s not a permanent job, but it has sustained us for the past 20 to 30 months.
The parents are not with you on the street or at school; you need to tell yourself what you want to achieve. When you make the right friends and choices, you’ll achieve those things.
It was a bit strenuous – coming from a game and straight to work, and vice versa. So, I had to find a balance and be honest with myself. I don’t regret the decision even to this day.
Someone said, ‘my brother, I think this is meant for you, leave this football, and focus on refereeing. I think you can go somewhere’. That is where it started, and the journey has continued since.
As a young boy growing up, it was always been a dream to be part of the World Cup, so if I were to put it in words, I would not finish – it's one of those things whereby one cannot explain.
I played, and still play, football. But I wasn’t the most gifted player, I saw a road that was less travelled.
One thing that I would say I had an advantage of, was strict parents,By 6pm, the gate had to be closed and lights had to be put on. If you are outside by 6pm, you might find yourself sleeping outside.
So, like you are saying, my absenteeism most of the time is due to CAF duties and FIFA duties outside of the country – there are trainings, physicals that we need to do to make sure we are up to par and ready for America 2026.