The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has officially accepted the resignation of Laryea Kingston as Head Coach of the National U17 Team, the Black Starlets, following their failure to qualify for the U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Kingston’s resignation came after Ghana’s 2-1 defeat to Burkina Faso in the semi-finals of the WAFU B Championship on Saturday, May 25, at the University of Ghana Stadium, which dashed their hopes of participating in the AFCON tournament.

Expressing his disappointment in a post-match press conference, Kingston stated, “I know Ghanaians know me as a player and are familiar with the sacrifices I made for the country during my playing days. I gave my all as a player, but in the end, I wasn’t happy.” He added, “Within these past seven months as Head Coach, I’ve given my all. I decided when we came back from Russia that I would resign after the WAFU competition. The explanation will come later.”

In response to Kingston’s departure, the GFA released a statement detailing the circumstances and announced that assistant coaches Jacob Nettey and Nana Agyemang will lead the team in the upcoming third-place playoff match against Nigeria on Tuesday, May 28, 2024.

Jacob Nettey, a former captain of Hearts of Oak and a prominent figure in Ghanaian football, brings a wealth of experience to the coaching staff. He notably led Hearts of Oak to victory in the CAF Champions League in 2000 and represented Ghana in various international competitions, including the Africa Cup of Nations and the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, USA.