The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association has confirmed the appointment of Laryea Kingston as the new head coach of the Black Starlets of Ghana.
Having clinched a silver medal with Starlets in the 1997 World Championship which took place in Egypt and later making substantial contributions to the Black Stars, it is of no doubt Kingston has now been entrusted with the task of rejuvenating the two-time world champions.
The former Accra Hearts of Oak and Accra Great Olympics winger, who won 42 caps and played in back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations (2006 and 2008) for Ghana, previously worked under the auspices of Karim Zito as the Black Starlets assistant coach.
Laryea Kingston will be assisted by former Hearts of Oak captain Jacod Nettey and Nana Agyemang.
Jacod Nettey was the skipper of Hearts of Oak, leading them to their famous CAF Champions League glory in 2000.
The skipper won six Ghana Premier League titles and three FA Cup trophies during his stint with Accra Hearts of Oak.
Additionally, Nana Agyemang is a CAF Licensed A and UEFA Licensed B holder, who formerly worked with Adenta United, Barbarossa Academy, the Lizzy Sports Complex Academy, and ProGen Football Club.
The 43-year-old head coach has conceded the weight of expectations from Ghanaians and has conveyed his readiness for the challenge in an interview with 3Sports.
“There’s going to be pressure. I know Ghanaians are craving to see us going back to our glory days at the youth level, so that’s why the FA was very patient in bringing in a new group of the technical team that are young and upcoming coaches with knowledge of youth football,” Laryea said
The gaffer further highlighted his background in nurturing young talents during his stint as the U-18 coach at Right to Dream Academy as a key proponent in his ability to lead the new crop of talents.
“I’ve been in an environment that has a lot of youth players in Right to Dream. I worked there for four years. I was the U18s coach. Some of the players that are playing for big clubs went through my hands at some point.
Some of these players are Kamaldeen, Nuamah, Adingra, and so on. Now we have Osman and Arafat coming up. I have what it takes to lead the Black Starlets,” he added
Since their final appearance in 2017, the Black Starlets have been on a brief hiatus in International competitions, missing out on both the World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.
The new technical team led by Laryea Kingston have been tasked to assemble a formidable squad for the next edition of the WAFU B U-17 Cup of Nations, Accra 2024, and the TotalEnergies U-17 Africa Cup of Nations.
Story by: Rabbi Adu Agyei | univers.ug.edu.gh
