Laryea Kingston Denies Black Starlets FIFA U17 World Cup Qualification With Uganda
- Ghana has missed out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA U17 World Cup after suffering a painful penalty shootout defeat to Uganda
- Coach Prosper Narteh Ogum’s side twice surrendered the lead during the encounter before eventually falling short in the post-match shootout
- The result means the Black Starlets’ absence from the global showpiece stretches to nine years, with their last appearance coming back in 2017
- In an interview with YEN.com.gh, a CAF-accredited journalist blamed Ghana’s defensive frailties as the major reason behind the team’s failure
Ghana’s hopes of returning to the FIFA U17 World Cup for the first time since 2017 came crashing down after a painful penalty shootout defeat to Uganda on Saturday, May 23.
The Black Starlets looked destined for Qatar on several occasions during a tense playoff encounter, but heartbreak struck late as Uganda, coached by former Ghana winger Laryea Kingston, grabbed qualification in dramatic fashion.
Source: Twitter
Coach Prosper Narteh Ogum’s side had already endured frustration earlier in the tournament after narrowly missing automatic qualification through the cruel drawing of lots following a deadlock with Algeria in every tiebreaker category.
That setback handed Algeria a quarter-final place at the AFCON U17 and an automatic World Cup ticket, leaving Ghana with one final opportunity through the playoffs.
Laryea Kingston denies Ghana
The Starlets made a dream start and took the lead after just nine minutes when Eric Gyamfi reacted quickest inside the box to fire home from close range.
Uganda, however, responded strongly and drew level in spectacular fashion through captain Mukisa Owen, who surprised Ghana with an 'olimpico' straight from a corner kick in the 34th minute.
Watch Owen's golazo, as shared on X:
After the break, Ogum introduced Yao Gavi, who is reportedly on the radar of Chelsea, to inject urgency into the attack, and the change paid off almost immediately.
Latif Wunzalgu restored Ghana’s advantage in the 51st minute as the Starlets edged closer to qualification.
For long periods, Ghana appeared in control. But deep into stoppage time, Uganda coach Laryea Kingston called for a Video Support review after an incident inside the penalty area.
Following the check, the referee pointed to the spot. Ibanda Arafat kept his composure and buried the penalty to force the game into a shootout.
Penalty agony ends Ghana’s World Cup dreams
Sensing what was at stake, Ogum made late changes before penalties, bringing on goalkeeper Michael Armah together with Mark 'Kagawa' Mensah specifically for the shootout.
Both sides converted their opening five kicks, sending the contest into sudden death. Then came the defining moment.
Source: Twitter
According to Ghanafa.org, defender Jacob Kpoeti missed Ghana’s decisive penalty, opening the door for Travor Mubiru to seal Uganda’s second consecutive qualification to the FIFA U17 World Cup.
Watch Kpoeti's painful miss, as shared on X:
In a cruel twist, the man leading Uganda to victory was Laryea Kingston, a former Black Starlets coach who once worked with Ghana’s youth setup before stepping down years ago.
Reacting to the Black Starlets’ disappointing campaign, Fitman Jaarah of Daily Guide Network and Focus FM shared his assessment in an interview with YEN.com.gh, pointing to Ghana’s defensive lapses and poor second-half displays as key reasons behind the team’s downfall.
“To put it mildly, Ghana's defence, woeful second-half performances and the technical team led by Prosper Narteh Ogum's inability to address cost the nation a place at the World Cup.
Fitman explained further:
“All the six goals Ghana conceded in the four games occurred in the second half, which tells us that defensively we lacked awareness and concentration. More worryingly, since it was a recurring phenomenon, you would have expected a coach of Ogum's calibre to have addressed this by the third game.
“This is painful, but it is also a lesson for us going forward. Hopefully we do our homework and come back better next year,” he ended.
According to Ghanasoccernet, the result means Ghana’s wait for another appearance on the global stage continues.
The country’s last participation came in 2017 with a talented generation that included Mohammed Kudus, Ibrahim Danlad, Ibrahim Sulley, Mohammed Aminu and Ibrahim Sadiq.
Juju allegedly cost Ghana U17 World Cup
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that former Ghana national under-17 football team star Johnson Eklu had disclosed a strange premonition before the country's defeat in the 1997 FIFA U17 World Cup final.
The ex-defender claimed the painful loss was influenced by supernatural forces, popularly referred to locally as "juju".
Source: YEN.com.gh
