Lareya Kingston: Ghana needs local coach for Black Stars
Laryea Kingston, a former Black Stars midfielder and current Assistant Coach of the Black Starlets, is advocating the appointment of a Ghanaian coach for the Black Stars, stressing the need to move away from an overreliance on expatriates for the top coaching position.
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Following the dismissal of Coach Chris Hughton after Ghana's poor performance in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) began a search for a new coach with the search team tasked to look for an experienced coach with a proven track record of successfully managing a national team or a club.
In an interview with Graphic Sports, Kingston expressed his willingness to be considered for the coaching position and urged the FA to select a competent local coach, emphasising the importance of finding someone genuinely committed to the team's success.
“Find a local coach or someone that we know is for us who is competent, then if you are bringing an expatriate coach, look for one who has the experience to support him [local coach].
Drawing from his coaching experience with the youth team of the Danish side, FC Nordsjaelland, and the Right to Dream Academy in Ghana, Kingston affirmed his readiness to take on the Black Stars coaching role if offered the opportunity, citing his preparation for the challenge.“Of course, I will accept and do it easy,” he said about his readiness for the biggest job of his coaching career. “I know the level at which I am now,” he said.
Kingston also proposed addressing past grievances among former players by introducing a therapist to handle issues that might have caused discontent, such as the situation following Asamoah Gyan's loss of the captaincy band before the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
Additionally, 43-year-old Kingston said it was important for the handlers of the senior national team to maintain the existing squad while scouting for players who were consistently performing well at their club sides.
He stressed the correlation between club form and national team performance, highlighting that players excelling at the club level were likely to contribute positively to the national team.
In offering himself available for the job, Kingston advised against overemphasising experience and recommended focusing on competence.
He also suggested that candidates for the vacant Black Stars job should present their plans to the public and should demonstrate what they could bring to the team rather than relying on personal connections.
“The coach must do a presentation for Ghanaians to know what he is bringing on board than to say this coach is my friend or the person that recommended this coach is my friend so let’s give the job to him,” he said.
Kingston cautioned against selecting coaches based solely on their popularity or former playing careers, urging the GFA to prioritise competence and readiness to deliver success for the national team.
