Black Starlets will be successful under my leadership, says Laryea Kingston

Former Ghana football star, Laryea Kingston, is gearing up to steer Ghana's U-17 team, the Black Starlets, back to their former glory days.

The 43-year-old has been appointed as the head coach of the Starlets by the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kingston brings a wealth of experience to the role.

Having clinched a silver medal with the Starlets in 1997 and later making significant contributions to the Black Stars, Kingston is now entrusted with the task of revitalizing the two-time world champions.

Acknowledging the weight of expectations from Ghanaian fans, Kingston expressed his readiness for the challenge.

“There’s going to be pressure. I know Ghanaians are craving to see us going back to our glory days in the youth level so that’s why the FA was very patient in bringing in a new group of technical team that are young and upcoming coaches with knowledge of youth football,” he told 3Sports.

Highlighting his background in nurturing young talents, Kingston pointed to his tenure as the U18s coach at Right To Dream, where he worked for four years.

“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.

The Black Starlets have faced a drought in international competitions, having missed out on both the AFCON and World Cup since their last appearance in 2017. With Kingston at the helm, hopes are high for a resurgence in the team's fortunes.