He Thought No One Was Watching: Abongile Tom Finally Exposed After Continental Blunder

South African referee Abongile Tom has found himself at the center of yet another officiating storm, this time on the continental stage. During the CAF Champions League preliminary round clash between Zimbabwe’s Scottland FC and Angola’s Petro de Luanda, Tom issued a controversial straight red card to goalkeeper Hugo Marques barely a minute into the second half, a decision that fundamentally altered the trajectory of the match . The 34-year-old official judged that Marques had denied a clear goal-scoring opportunity, but replays suggested that covering defenders had recovered, casting serious doubt on the validity of the dismissal .

The blunder did not end with the red card. Shortly after, Petro’s substitute goalkeeper handled the ball well outside his penalty area, yet Tom and his officiating team failed to act, leaving commentators and supporters stunned . Petro de Luanda, forced to play with ten men for nearly the entire encounter, eventually succumbed to a 2-0 defeat courtesy of goals from Khama Billiat and Knowledge Musona . The Angolan giants have since lodged a formal complaint with CAF, demanding an investigation into Tom’s handling of the match and requesting possible disciplinary action .

What makes this exposure particularly damning is the claim that emerged afterward. Marques reportedly stated on social media that Tom approached him after the final whistle and apologized, allegedly acknowledging that the red-card decision had been a mistake . If confirmed, this admission would represent a remarkable breach of officiating protocol and lend credence to the growing perception that Tom’s judgment under pressure is unreliable. The referee’s camp has not publicly responded to the allegation, leaving CAF to determine whether the apology actually occurred and what consequences should follow .

This incident arrives just days after Tom faced intense scrutiny for his performance in the MTN8 final between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates, where he awarded a stoppage-time penalty that replays suggested was based on minimal contact . While Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou refused to publicly criticize Tom, praising his ability to control the match’s tempers, the cumulative pattern is becoming difficult to ignore . For a referee who has been entrusted with AFCON fixtures and World Cup qualifying matches, the question now is whether CAF and domestic authorities will continue to extend that trust or finally hold him accountable for errors that are no longer going unnoticed .

Source https://x.com/KickOffMagazine/status/2112257833911677000