Veteran football coach Malik Jabir has criticized Laryea Kingston following his resignation as head coach of the Black Starlets. Kingston stepped down on Saturday after Ghana's 2-1 defeat in the semifinals of the WAFU B Championship, which resulted in the team missing out on qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations.
In an interview with Kessben FM, Jabir expressed his disappointment with Kingston's decision. “It was a childish decision he took. Was he thinking of beating all countries on the continent? No. This means he is a young coach and I think he will learn going forward. Once he’s resigned, if he gets another opportunity he will learn from it,” Jabir stated.
Kingston revealed that he had made the decision to resign while the team was in Russia for the U-16 tournament. His announcement was marked by an emotional tone, highlighting his internal struggle with the decision.
Appointed in April, Kingston initially served as the assistant coach before taking the head coach position. Over his 18-month tenure, he led the team to play some of the best football seen from Ghana’s youth team, scoring an impressive 54 goals in 18 games.
Despite the successes, the recent defeat and subsequent failure to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations were significant blows. These setbacks likely influenced Kingston’s decision to quit.
