Top Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea receives rousing welcome on return from AFCON 2025

Highly respected Ghanaian referee Daniel Laryea has returned home after successfully completing his CAF assignment at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The decorated official arrived in Ghana on Saturday following his participation at the continental showpiece, having been selected among the elite match officials on the continent to uphold the rules of the game at the 35th edition of the AFCON in Morocco.

At the tournament, the Ghanaian played various roles and made the headlines after he was appointed the referee for the high-stakes semi-final showdown between Nigeria and Morocco, a task he delivered outstandingly.

On his return, Laryea was given a rousing hero’s welcome at the Kotoka International Airport, with drumming, cheers and enthusiastic applause from scores of Ghanaians who gathered to celebrate his achievement and contribution to African football officiating.

Reacting to the warm reception in a post on X, Daniel Laryea expressed his gratitude, saying, “Much appreciated...much love”.

Daniel Laryea is currently Ghana’s number one referee and has been on the FIFA International Referees list since 2014. His journey into refereeing began at the age of 17 in Ghana’s lower division leagues, before he went on to officiate his first Ghana Premier League match between Medeama SC and Berekum Chelsea FC.

Since earning FIFA badge status, Laryea has handled several major international assignments, including the 2017 CAF U-17 Cup of Nations in Gabon, the 2018 WAFU Cup of Nations hosted in Ghana, the 2018 CHAN tournament in Morocco, the 2020 CHAN competition in Cameroon, and the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, also staged in Cameroon.

Building on that experience, and having recently officiated the semi-final clash between Nigeria and Morocco at AFCON 2025, Daniel Laryea continues to cement his reputation as one of the leading referees on the African continent.