Former Ghana midfielder Laryea Kingston believes Uganda have more gifted young footballers waiting to be discovered as he continues to develop the country’s youth teams.
Kingston has guided Uganda’s U-17 side to qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup and the 2027 U-17 Africa Cup of Nations. He says the technical ability of Ugandan players suits the style of football he wants his teams to play.
“I find myself in the right place. I find myself in the country that most of the players, their qualities fits my style of play. We’re looking at players that are comfortable with the ball, very technical players,” he said.
The Ghanaian, who previously coached the Black Starlets, believes there are similarities between players from Ghana and Uganda. He says that connection has helped him settle into his role and shape his approach.
“Ugandans are not far from Ghanaians, the quality that the Ghanaians have. So for me, that’s what makes it easy for me because I’m a Ghanaian, and I know technically Ghanaian players are very good on the ball,” he added.
Kingston said the players already identified by his technical team represent only part of Uganda’s potential talent pool. He believes a broader and more organised search will be needed to find those who have not yet come to the attention of the national youth set-up.
“I know the best is yet to come in this country because I can see our database with few kids, but I can see there are more better players than what we’ve found,” Kingston said.
He places particular importance on maintaining a detailed database of young players, allowing the coaching staff to follow their progress over time. Training camps will then provide an opportunity to assess the players in greater detail and help improve their abilities.
“The most important thing is to have a data that we can monitor all of them and make sure we engage them with training camps, because this is what I learned.”
Preparing for the World Cup
Uganda are preparing to compete at the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. They have been drawn in Group B alongside South Korea, Ecuador and New Caledonia.
Kingston’s immediate focus will be the team’s preparations for that tournament, while his longer-term responsibility will be to strengthen the pathway for emerging players.
That work includes expanding the search for talent, tracking the development of those identified and creating more opportunities for them to train with the national youth teams. His aim is to ensure Uganda’s progress is supported by a system that continues to produce players beyond the current squad.
