The referees and stakeholder
Twenty-three Ghanaian referees have been honoured with FIFA badges for the 2026 football season, marking another significant milestone for officiating in the country.
The Ghana Football Association officially presented the badges during a short but symbolic ceremony at the GFA Headquarters in Accra on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
The selected officials include 10 Centre Referees, 10 Assistant Referees, one Futsal Referee, one Beach Soccer Referee and one Video Assistant Referee (VAR), highlighting Ghana’s expanding presence across different disciplines of the game.
Topping the list is seasoned referee Daniel Nii Laryea, who earned double recognition as both a Centre Referee and a Video Assistant Referee, underscoring his consistency and growing reputation within African and global refereeing circles.
The list also features new assistant referee Richard Kwaku, while Portia Oppong made history as Ghana’s first Beach Soccer referee to be included on the FIFA-approved roster.
FIFA badges are awarded annually to the highest-ranked referees from each member association, based on performance assessments from the previous year and successful completion of FIFA-mandated fitness and technical tests.
In Ghana, candidates are first vetted by the GFA’s Classification and Assessment Committee before nominations are forwarded to FIFA for final approval. The world governing body retains the right to reject any nominee who fails to meet its strict requirements, including medical and fitness standards.
Addressing the officials, GFA Vice-President Mark Addo congratulated them and urged them to carry themselves as worthy ambassadors of Ghanaian football.
“I want to congratulate all of you for how far you’ve come and urge you to keep your heads high. There is a lot of expectation on you, and you must work hard to maintain the standards required,” he said.
Chairperson of the GFA Referees Committee, Christine Enyonam Zigah, echoed those sentiments, stressing the responsibility that comes with wearing the FIFA badge.
“You have gone through a rigorous process to be selected, and you must justify the confidence reposed in you by FIFA. You have a duty to maintain the highest standards both at home and abroad. I wish you all the very best,” she said.
BY Wletsu Ransford