Laryea Kingston has announced his resignation as Ghana U-17 coach, citing the team’s failure to qualify for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations and, by implication, the World Cup.
Burkina Faso defeated Ghana 2-1 in the semifinals of the WAFU B Championship on Saturday at the University of Ghana Stadium. A victory would have guaranteed their qualification for next year’s competition.
In a post-match press conference, Kingston expressed his displeasure that the squad did not meet their goal and ended the session by announcing his resignation.
According to Kingston, he had performed admirably since his hiring, first as an assistant before becoming head coach, but thought it was time to move on.
“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.
Kingston’s squad had dominated the group stage, defeating Ivory Coast and Benin, but faced a more difficult opponent in Burkina Faso in the semifinals.
Burkina Faso proved too strong, as Kingston acknowledged after the game. He cut an emotional figure as he announced his departure.
