Laryea Kingston has resigned as Starlets coach
For those who followed Laryea Kingston and his Black Starlets team, the pairing seemed like a perfect match: a budding coach with a clear system and tactical approach, and a team of young players eager to learn and enhance their skills.
The union of Laryea Kingston and the Starlets appeared to be a match made in heaven, with expectations high that it was only a matter of time before he would become a Black Stars coach.
Therefore, it came as a huge surprise to Ghanaians when Laryea Kingston announced his resignation after his first major setback as the Black Starlets coach.
The shocking resignation and the strongly worded reaction from the Ghana Football Association have spurred a wave of discussions, and GhanaWeb Sports examines three reasons why this is bad news for Ghanaian football.
Jeopardizes the team's 'slim' chance of qualifying for the AFCON
Reports suggest that the third-place playoff match between Ghana and Nigeria may not be a mere formality but rather a game that could shape the team's future.
The reports indicate that the Black Starlets could secure qualification by finishing third, as the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has yet to announce the criteria for qualification to the Africa U-17 Championship following the expansion of the FIFA U-17 World Cup.
The expansion of the 2025 FIFA World Cup from 24 to 48 teams means that Africa's slots in the competition have increased from four to nine, leaving CAF with a decision to make regarding the qualification criteria for the U-17 AFCON.
From all indications, Laryea Kingston had built a solid and strong relationship with his players, and his departure could affect morale in the camp. This could impact the team's performance against Nigeria on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.
Derails the progress of the team
At first glance, the result against Burkina Faso, which has placed Ghana's direct qualification to the U-17 AFCON in doubt, seems indicative of a lack of progress from the team, as they failed to qualify for the last edition of the tournament. However, a holistic assessment of the team's performance, especially under Laryea Kingston, will reveal the significant progress made by the team in terms of performance and an identifiable style of play.
Under Laryea Kingston, the team displayed a brand of football not seen from most of Ghana's national teams in recent years. The football played by the Black Starlets was coordinated, with a clear pattern of play from defence to midfield and attack.
It is safe to say that this progress would not have been possible without the tactical acumen of Kingston, who insisted on the team playing from the back and building up play with intricate passes instead of simply hoofing the ball.
With Laryea Kingston now out of the picture, it remains uncertain whether the team will continue in this direction or if the new coach will have an approach and plan completely different from what Laryea Kingston implemented.
Bad PR for the GFA
The performance of Laryea Kingston's team, coupled with the performance of the Under-20 team in the African Games, brought the Ghana Football Association some positive media attention.
Suddenly, people started believing in the FA's DNA project and trusting that the players selected were chosen purely based on competence and not because of their relationships with key figures at the FA.
The resignation of Laryea Kingston and all the rumors circulating in the media will not do the image of the GFA any good, with most of the speculation being about interference and the imposition of players on Laryea Kingston.
The press release by the GFA in reaction to Laryea's resignation also did them no favors, as some members of the public criticized them for the wording of the statement.
EK
