Laryea Kingston calls for long-term plan to rebuild Black Stars after World Cup elimination
Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to adopt a long-term strategy in preparing the Black Stars for their next FIFA World Cup campaign.
Ghana’s World Cup journey came to an end in the Round of 32 after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Colombia, with Jhon Arias scoring the decisive goal in the 14th minute.
Speaking on Joy Sports, Kingston, who is currently in charge of Uganda’s U17 national team, stressed the need for proper planning and patience in building a competitive national side capable of challenging at the highest level.
The former Black Stars winger believes the GFA must move away from short-term solutions and instead invest in a structured project that allows a coach enough time to develop a team ahead of major tournaments.
“We need a long-term project to build a team. At least five years for a coach to build a team before a tournament,” he said.
Kingston also suggested that the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations should be used as part of Ghana’s rebuilding process rather than setting unrealistic expectations of winning the competition.
According to him, the Black Stars are still in a transitional phase and need time to develop the quality and consistency required to compete for major honours.
“We shouldn’t be thinking about winning the AFCON because we do not have a team,” he added.
Ghana will now turn their attention to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, which are scheduled to begin in September, as the team seeks to rebuild and secure qualification for the continental showpiece.