Former Ghanaian footballer, Laryea Kingston has disclosed that some Ghanaian football officials made negative comments about his personality prior to his appointment as head coach of the Uganda U-17 side.

According to him, the Ugandan FA reached out to some Ghanaian football officials to enquire about his character after he was shortlisted for the job.

The former Black Starlets coach revealed that he was shocked by the feedback he received, as most of the officials made negative remarks about his personality, which could have jeopardised the job opportunity.

Laryea Kingston opens up about going against his wife's wishes

Speaking in an interview with Sporty FM, Kingston noted that he was accused of being controversial and difficult to work with, much to his dismay.

“They made a lot of enquiries, you know. When someone proposed me to them, they made their inquiries about me, referrals from previous jobs and all that. I’m yet to believe it, because the feedback I got was very negative. The feedback Ghanaians gave them wasn’t good.

"They are football people, so definitely they will speak to football people around Ghana, and it gave them bad feedback. Very, very negative feedback. Saying I’m very controversial,” he said.

Kingston explained that the remarks were linked to his departure after the WAFU Zone B U-17 qualifier semifinal match against Burkina Faso on May 24, 2024.

He stated that his firm decisions were mistaken by some people as being controversial, simply because he refused to succumb to pressure to meet certain demands.

“I don’t understand how I was controversial when I was handling the U-17s. I was very firm and I stood my ground, that’s all. And I believe everybody has to do that because you shouldn’t let people change you,” he added.

Meanwhile, Laryea Kingston successfully qualified the Uganda U-17 side for the 2026 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Watch the interview below:

Some people gave the Uganda FA negative feedback when they asked about me - Laryea Kingston#SportyDrive pic.twitter.com/oZIygdVpmB

— SportyFM Ghana (@SportyFM_) January 27, 2026