Laryea Kingston has tendered his resignation as Ghana’s U-17 coach in the wake of an unsuccessful bid to qualify for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations, which also resulted in the team missing out on the World Cup.
Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for next year’s WAFU B Championship were dashed on Saturday, as they fell 2-1 to Burkina Faso in the semifinals at the University of Ghana Stadium, narrowly missing out on a spot in the upcoming tournament.
In a post-match press conference, Kingston expressed his disappointment that the team couldn’t achieve their target and concluded the session by announcing his resignation.
Kingston believes he had a successful tenure, first as an assistant coach and later as the head coach, but has decided it’s time to move on, despite his achievements during his appointment.
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“After we came back from Russia, that’s when I decided that whether we win and qualify or not, I’m moving on. After this tournament, I’m resigning as the U-17 coach. I have made that decision already,” he said.
After a commanding performance in the group stage, where they convincingly defeated Ivory Coast and Benin, Kingston’s team dominance was defeated in the semifinals against Burkina Faso, a more formidable opponent that ultimately proved to be their undoing.
In the aftermath of the game, a visibly emotional Kingston conceded that Burkina Faso had been the superior team, and also revealed that he would be departing from his role, bringing an end to his tenure as head coach.
