Ghanaian international referee Daniel Laryea has successfully passed his FIFA Fitness Test, retaining his status as a FIFA Referee and Video Assistant Referee (VAR).
The achievement comes after a challenging period that saw Laryea combine elite-level refereeing with postgraduate studies and extensive international travel. According to his account, he had gone approximately 20 years without failing a fitness test before an unsuccessful attempt earlier this year.
Laryea is currently pursuing an MPhil in Sports and Exercise Science at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW). Balancing lectures, academic presentations, research and assignments with the physical demands of international refereeing proved demanding. His preparation was further disrupted by travel between Ghana, the United States and Kuwait, alongside changing routines and accumulated fatigue.
Rather than allowing the setback to derail his career, Laryea returned to intensive preparation. For a month, his training focused on interval sessions, recovery, fatigue management and physical conditioning. His academic studies also provided practical insight into areas such as training load, recovery, adaptation and aerobic capacity.
On the morning of 24 August 2026, Laryea returned to the track determined to complete the test. He successfully did so, securing the fitness requirement and retaining his FIFA Referee and VAR badge.
For Laryea, the achievement represents more than simply passing another fitness assessment. He described it as a reminder that setbacks do not erase years of excellence, but can instead test an individual’s determination to work for excellence again.
As he continues his MPhil studies alongside his international refereeing career, Laryea says the experience has reinforced the importance of discipline, resilience and continuous learning.
The MPhil continues. The learning continues. The training continues — and the whistle continues.
