Black Star players must be playing in top 10 leagues - Laryea Kingston

Nii Ayitey Brown 04:55 - 06 October 2026

Laryea Kingston

Laryea Kingston says players outside the top 10 leagues must be extraordinary to earn a Black Stars call-up under his approach.
He wants regular playing time and current club form to be key factors in selecting Ghana players.
Kingston has expressed interest in the vacant Black Stars coaching job, with the GFA and Sports Ministry currently searching for a new coach.

Former Ghana international Laryea Kingston has outlined strict criteria he would use to select players for the Black Stars should he be given the opportunity to coach the senior national team.

LARYEA KINGSTON

Speaking to 3Sports, Kingston said the level of competition a player faces, regular playing time and current form would be among the main factors he would consider before handing out a national team call-up.

“If I have, I've been given the opportunity to be Black Stars coach now, I will look at so many factors before you qualify to play for the senior team. First of all, which level are you playing? Your team? And the level of the league that you are playing, the competition that you are playing in. It's very important,” he said.

Black Stars

He believes playing in a strong league should be an important requirement for a senior international, although players outside the top 10 leagues could still earn a call-up if they are good enough.

“First, a senior national team player should be playing, at least the top 10 leagues. If you are outside the top 10 leagues, you must be extraordinary. So we focus on that. Then 2, are the players regular, playing actively? If not meeting the squad, but getting minutes. One, starting, getting minutes week in, week out, and you look at the form of the players,” he said.

The former Black Stars player’s comments come at a time when Ghana is searching for a new head coach.

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation have formed a five-member committee to identify and recommend a replacement for Carlos Queiroz, who left his position on October 1, 2026, after Ghana lost its opening two matches in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The committee, chaired by former GFA vice-president Fred Pappoe, includes former Black Stars captain Stephen Appiah, Anthony Baffoe, Faisal Chibsah and Agbesi Dzakpasu. It has been given until October 9, 2026, to submit its report.

Kingston has already moved into coaching after ending his playing career. He was appointed head coach of Ghana's Black Starlets in 2024 after previously working with the team as an assistant.

He later moved to Uganda, where the Federation of Uganda Football Associations (FUFA) appointed him head coach of the country's junior men's national teams. He subsequently led Uganda's U-17 side at the 2026 Africa U-17 Cup of Nations.

Kingston has also publicly expressed his interest in taking charge of the Black Stars if given the opportunity.

"A senior national team player should be playing for a top 10 league in the world. If not, he must be extraordinary." - Laryea Kingston on his criteria for player selection in the Black Stars. #3Sports https://t.co/61jZkzeFNd
— #3Sports (@3SportsGh) October 5, 2026