Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum, says Laryea Kingston is not under pressure to win the ongoing WAFU Zone B U-17 Championship.
Ghana’s U-17 team began their campaign with a dominant 5-1 victory over Ivory Coast last weekend at the University of Ghana Sports Stadium.
They are set to face Benin in their second group game on Tuesday, May 21. A win would secure Kingston’s boys a spot in the semifinals. The match is scheduled to kick off at 18:00 GMT.
“The Black Starlets are on course. On Tuesday, we hope they win and advance to the semifinals, bringing us back to the African continent,” Asante Twum said on Asaase Radio.
The finalists of the WAFU Zone B Championship will qualify for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations next year.
The Black Starlets last appeared in the AFCON in 2017, where they finished as runners-up after losing to Mali in the final.
Laryea Kingston, a former Black Stars winger, served as an assistant coach under Abdul Karim Zito for a year and a half before being named the head coach of the Black Starlets in April 2024.
When asked about the expectations for Kingston, Asante Twum said, “The goal is to form a strong team and qualify for major competitions. There is no pressure on Laryea Kingston to succeed.
“We have confidence in his abilities and his skills. He has demonstrated over the years that he is a top-quality manager,” he added.