In Recent years, South Africa has seen some of the country’s young, exciting referees take part in big matches including high profile international tournaments such as the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) and the FIFA World Cup. Names such as Abongile Tom, Zakhele Siwela, Akhona Zennith Makhalima and Victor Gomes, easily come to mind.

But long before this generation, there was another cohort of trendsetters. Among them we list names such as Ian McLeod, Daniel Bennet and Jerome Damon.

The no-nonsense Ian McLeod made history when he was appointed assistant referee at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France. He created a path for Daniel Bennet and Jerome Damon, both of whom went on to officiate at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Since then, South African referees have featured in major competitions.