Ghana must prioritise long-term Black Stars rebuilding over winning AFCON - Laryea Kingston

Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston has called on the Ghana Football Association (GFA) to adopt a long-term development plan for the Black Stars rather than placing immediate pressure on the team to win the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Kingston’s comments come after Ghana’s elimination from the ongoing 2026 FIFA World Cup following a 1-0 defeat to Colombia in the Round of 32.

The Black Stars were knocked out after Jhon Arias scored the decisive goal in the first half, ending Ghana’s hopes of making a deeper run in the tournament.

Speaking on Joy Prime, the former Hearts of Oak and Great Olympics winger argued that the current squad requires rebuilding and that expectations of immediate AFCON success are unrealistic.

“We shouldn’t be thinking about winning the AFCON because we do not have a team,” Kingston said.

The ex-Ghana midfielder believes the focus should instead be on creating a sustainable project that will develop a competitive national team capable of challenging for major honours in the future.

Despite their early exit, Ghana’s World Cup campaign marked progress as the team reached the knockout stage for the first time since the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

The four-time African champions will now turn their attention to preparations for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers, with the aim of rebuilding ahead of future competitions.