Laryea Kingston apologises, says resignation situation could have been handled better

Laryea Kingston has issued an apology to Ghana Football Association (GFA) President Kurt Okraku and the Executive Council following his abrupt resignation as coach of the Ghana U17 team.

Despite a promising start in the WAFU B tournament, with victories over Ivory Coast (5-1) and Benin (2-0), the team faced a setback in the semi-finals against Burkina Faso.

Kingston’s resignation after the semi-final loss came as a surprise, especially with a third-place match still on the horizon.

While the GFA acknowledged his resignation, they also noted the coach’s “awkward behavior” in the situation.

Addressing the situation in a statement released on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, Laryea said, “To the President and the Exco, I also want to unreservedly and sincerely apologize for any misunderstanding, inconvenience, and embarrassment my decision to announce resignation last Saturday caused.”

He admitted that, “After careful consideration, I could have handled things better and this will be guiding experience for me going forward.”

Nonetheless, Kingston reiterated his support for the team as they prepare to face Nigeria in the battle for the bronze medal at the Legon Stadium on Tuesday.

“I love my nation, I served my nation as a player, and I have been serving my nation as a coach.

“I cherish the opportunity given me by the GFA and the support of Ghanaians from all walks of life, my technical teammates, and the talented players that I work with.

“We look forward to finishing the tournament in the strongest way by beating our rivals, Nigeria to win bronze.”

The Black Starlets will be under the charge of Nana Agyemang the assistant coach who has vowed to bounce the team back to success.

“It’s extremely important. I mean it’s my first national assignment. At first, being the assistant to Laryea Kingston and now taking the reins for this last game I think it’s very very important. For me, it really defines my coaching career and I am going to do everything possible to win this to put smiles back on the faces of Ghanaians and also to be able to uplift my own self as a coach.”

The game against Nigeria kicks off at 4 pm local time.