2026 World Cup: FIFA seals the fate of Ghana's ref for Nigeria's AFCON clash against Morocco

Ghana’s controversial referee, Daniel Nii Laryea, will not officiate at the 2026 FIFA World Cup after he was omitted from the list of officials for the showpiece in the USA, Mexico and Canada. 

Laryea is seen as one of Africa’s top referees and was one of the officials who officiated at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

However, his performance came under scrutiny, particularly in Nigeria’s clash against the hosts in the semifinals. 

While his performance did not have a direct impact on the match, he was accused of blowing calls in favour of the Moroccans.

It now appears his performance has cost him a spot at the World Cup, as he was not among the seven referees selected from Africa. 

South Africa’s Tom Abongile heads the list, which also includes Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria), Amin Mohamed (Egypt), Pierre Atcho (Gabon), Jalal Jayed (Morocco), Dahane Beida (Mauritania) and Omar Artan (Somalia). 

Aside from Laryea, AFCON 2025 final referee Jean-Jacques Ndala was also not selected from Africa. Ndala’s reputation took a major hit following his poor performance in the final between Senegal and Morocco.

The Congolese official controversially ruled out a Senegal goal before awarding Morocco a controversial penalty, which forced the Senegalese team to walk off the pitch. 

In addition to Laryea and Ndala, no Nigerian referee will be present when the World Cup kicks off on June 11.