Former Kumasi Asante Kotoko striker, Mark Adu Amofah
Former Kumasi Asante Kotoko striker, Mark Adu Amofah, has voiced his reservations about Laryea Kingston's resignation as head coach of the Black Starlets.
In a GhanaWeb interview, Mark Adu Amofah believed that Laryea Kingston could have postponed his decision until after the tournament.
The Founder of AA Sports International outlined the possible effects of Laryea Kingston's resignation on the players, noting that the former Ghana winger's conduct during the tournament left much to be desired.
Mark Adu Amofah expressed huge admiration for Laryea Kingston's coaching competence, observing that the Black Starlets played some good football under his watch, and it is unfortunate that the union had to end at this time.
While he does not fault Laryea Kingston for stepping down as Black Starlets coach, he believes that the timing of the decision could negatively affect the Black Starlets, who could still qualify for the Africa U-17 Championship.
"I believe the timing of the decision was inappropriate. Resigning from a job or any position is understandable if you're not happy, but in his case, the tournament was still ongoing. If there was no threat from the FA to fire him, then there was no need for that resignation.
"Laryea is a good coach. He's my senior; I admire him so much because I saw the passion he had while playing for the national teams. I was happy to hear that he had been given the position of head coach for the youth team.
"The tournament still had one game to go, so for me, there was no reason to leave at that time. It's a huge disappointment for the whole nation and the players. They see him as a father figure and hold him in high esteem. For him to just desert them that way may have a psychological effect on the boys," he said.
Laryea Kingston announced his resignation from the Black Starlets following the team's defeat to Burkina Faso in the semi-final of the 2024 WAFU Zone B Championship.
The Black Stars lost 2-1 to Burkina Faso in the match played at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium on Saturday, May 25, 2024.
"I know Ghanaians remember me as a player and are familiar with the sacrifices I made for the country during my playing days. I gave my all as a player, but in the end, I wasn't happy. I put more focus on my coaching career and educated myself to ensure I came back to change the narrative around Ghanaian football.
"Within these past seven months as Head Coach, I've given my all. I decided when we came back from Russia that I would resign after the WAFU competition. The explanation will come later," he said.
