Laryea Kingston, a former Ghanaian midfielder, is confident in his ability to lead Ghana's U-17 national men's team, the Black Starlets.
The 43-year-old has been appointed as the head coach of the Starlets by the Ghana Football Association, following his stint as an assistant coach for the team.
Having previously won a silver medal with the Starlets in 1997 and later becoming a key player for the Black Stars, Kingston is determined to guide the two-time world champions back to success.
Acknowledging the pressure associated with the role, Kingston expressed understanding of Ghanaians' desire to see the youth team return to its former glory.
He highlighted the FA's deliberate selection of a youthful and knowledgeable technical team, emphasizing their collective understanding of youth football.
“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.
Drawing from his experience as the U18s coach at Right to Dream for four years, Kingston pointed out his involvement in nurturing talented young players, some of whom have progressed to prominent clubs.
“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.
Notable mentions include Kamaldeen, Nuamah, and Adingra, with emerging talents like Osman and Arafat also under his watch.
“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.
With Ghana's U-17 team having missed out on both the AFCON and World Cup since 2017, Kingston's appointment marks a pivotal moment as the Black Starlets aim to reclaim their competitive edge on the international stage.