Top Ghanaian FIFA referee, Daniel Nii Laryea, has been selected by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to officiate in the upcoming 2021 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament to be staged in Cameroon.
The 34-year-old FIFA referee had the nod as the only official from Ghana on the list of referees released 25 days to the start of the tournament. The list comprising of 64 match officials includes center referees, Video Assistant Referees (VAR) and assistant referees.
Scrutinizing the list, the continent governing body retained 24 referees from the 2019 AFCON, nine specialist VAR referees and 31 assistant referees drawn from across more than 20 countries.
Daniel Nii Laryea’s inclusion in the list however follows his exploits in the CAF Confederations Cup and Champions League which pushed him ahead of his peers.
Meanwhile, there would be a guest referee, Drew Fisher, from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) who would be part of the VAR team.
The AFCON tournament commences on January 9 to February 6, 2022 where 24 countries will battle for the ultimate.
It was rescheduled for the second time to January 2022 by CAF on June 30, 2020 following the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic across the continent, whilst retaining the name 2021 Africa Cup of Nations for sponsorship purposes.
In related development, the Black Stars of Ghana who are drawn in group C alongside Morocco, Comoros and Gabon will be expected to end the country’s 40-year trophy drought in Cameroon.
They however begin their title hopeful campaign on January 10, 2022 against the Moroccans at the Stade Ahmadou Ahidjo, Yaoundé at 17:00GMT.
