Ghanaian referee, Daniel Laryea has been selected for the maiden CAF professional referees.
Referee Laryea joins nineteen other referees including two females from the continent for the professional referee's programme.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will contract these referees for a year where they will undergo the process of getting professionalized.
The project will see the referees put on a contract and given training facilitation. Eighteen male referees and two female referees have been selected for this maiden project.
In selecting the maiden group for this project, the CAF refereeing committee has one eye cast on the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and African representatives for the tournament will be picked from this group of 20.
“They will have monthly allowances and we will assign two instructors in each of the six CAF Zones to work with them physically and technically. We will supply them with equipment, and they will be monitored and have sessions on Zoom with monthly assessments,” explains Maillet of CAF's refereeing committee.
“The training will be full time, and the essential thing for the referees is to perform. The program is well structured to ensure that they attain the right levels of physical fitness,” Maillet explains.
He adds; “This is a new project, but the concept is clear, and this will help raise the level of African refereeing.”
The referees selected for the programme are more likely to be picked for Qatar 2022.
See the list below: