Daniel Laryea

Early life and education Daniel Nii Ayi Laryea was born on 11 September 1987 in Accra, Ghana.

Laryea attended Accra Academy, where he developed an interest in football and eventually became the school's first-choice goalkeeper. His experiences as a player influenced his decision to pursue a career in football officiating rather than competitive playing.

International career

2014–2020 Laryea was included on the FIFA International Referees List in 2014, becoming eligible to officiate international matches organised by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF). His elevation followed two years of officiating in the Ghana Premier League and marked the beginning of his international refereeing career.

With the introduction of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology in CAF competitions, Laryea qualified as a FIFA Video Match Official and began serving in both on-field and video officiating roles. He has since been appointed as a referee, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) and Assistant Video Assistant Referee (AVAR) in several continental competitions, including the CAF Women's Champions League and the CAF Champions League. (

Laryea served as Assistant Video Assistant Referee for the tournament final between AS FAR of Morocco and Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa, played on 13 November 2022 at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. In December 2022, Laryea was named among the match officials for the rescheduled 2022 African Nations Championship in Algeria. On 13 January 2023, he served as the Assistant Video Assistant Referee for the tournament's opening match between hosts Algeria and Libya.

Following the tournament, Laryea continued to receive appointments as a Video Match Official in CAF competitions. In April 2023, he was appointed Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the CAF Champions League quarter-final between Raja Casablanca and Al Ahly.

In December 2024, Laryea was selected by CAF as one of the Video Match Officials for the 2024 African Nations Championship, scheduled to be hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. He was one of two Ghanaian match officials appointed for the tournament.

2024–present Laryea was subsequently named among the 23 referees selected by CAF for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. During the tournament, he officiated the Group E match between Algeria and Burkina Faso before serving as Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for the quarter-final between Morocco and Cameroon. He was later appointed referee for the semi-final between hosts Morocco and Nigeria, one of the tournament's marquee fixtures.

Following the tournament, Laryea retained his place on the FIFA International Referees List for the 2026 season. In March 2026, CAF selected him to participate in its Interclub Quarter-finals Preparation Course in Cairo, Egypt, where he trained as both a FIFA referee and FIFA Video Match Official ahead of the knockout stages of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.

In February 2026, CAF appointed Laryea as referee for the CAF Confederation Cup fixture between Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa and Al Masry of Egypt, extending his involvement in continental inter-club competitions. In 2026, he was selected as Assistant Video Assistant Referee (AVAR) for the CAF Champions League quarter-final between AS FAR and RS Berkane after attending CAF's Interclub Quarter-finals Preparation Course in Cairo.

Laryea has credited his early experiences as a goalkeeper at Accra Academy with influencing his decision to pursue football officiating. In interviews, he has also highlighted the importance of continuous training and professional development throughout his refereeing career.