Tom And Siwela Appointed For Portugal vs DR Congo World Cup Match
South African referees Abongile Tom and Zakhele Siwela have been appointed to officiate the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group K opener between Portugal and DR Congo.
The match will mark the duo’s second assignment at the tournament, having already been selected for another high-profile fixture involving Germany and tournament debutants Curaçao on Sunday evening.
In both matches, Tom will serve as the fourth official, while Siwela will take up the role of reserve assistant referee.
The Portugal versus DR Congo encounter is scheduled to take place on Wednesday at Houston Stadium. The South African officials will work alongside a Qatari refereeing team led by Abdulrahman Al Jassim. Taleb Al Marri and Saoudi Al Maqaleh will serve as the first and second assistant referees, respectively.
Tom and Siwela will be involved in what is expected to be one of the most intriguing matches of the opening round.
Portugal will be aiming to get their campaign off to a winning start as they pursue their first FIFA World Cup title. Their best performance at the tournament came in 1966, when they secured the bronze medal after finishing third.
The match will also feature Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who continues to add to his remarkable international legacy. Over an illustrious career spanning more than two decades, Ronaldo has become Portugal’s all-time leader in FIFA World Cup appearances, having featured in 22 matches — more than any other Portuguese player in the competition’s history.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is set to extend that record at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which marks his sixth appearance at the global showpiece. In doing so, Ronaldo will achieve yet another historic milestone in an already legendary career, joining his long-time rival Lionel Messi and Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa as players to have featured in six World Cups.
DR Congo, meanwhile, will be making only their second FIFA World Cup appearance. Their previous participation came in 1974 in West Germany, where they were eliminated in the group stage after losing all three of their matches.
During that campaign, they conceded 14 goals and failed to score, enduring one of the most difficult World Cup debuts in the tournament’s history.
