Former Ghana international midfielder Laryea Kingston has become the first African coach to win the famous J-League International Youth Cup in Japan.
Kingston, who is in his early years as coach, led Ghanaian side Right to Dream Academy U-17 side to capture the title on emphatic fashion on Sunday.
They won the tournament after hammering home side Omiya Ardija 3-0 in Sunday’s final of the tournament featuring some of the best youth sides in the world.
It was Kingston’s first tournament after taking up coaching duties following his retirement from football in 2014.
He won all four matches to help them capture the title for the Akosombo-based academy.
Right to Dream were drawn in Group A of the eight-team international tournament they won last year after impressing in the competition by defeating Ulsan 2-0 in the final last year.
They faced home sides Fukuoka and Nagoya as well as South Korean club Gwangju to win the group that sent them to the final.
Brazilian giants Flamengo were in Group B where they played Swedish club BK Hacken and home teams Gamba Osaka and Omiya, who topped the group to meet Right to Dream.
The ex-Ghana star led the Akosombo-based football grooming school at the tournament in Asia as part of the annual international competitions they participate in.
Laryea has ventured into coaching and match analysis after retiring from the game after over two decades of his football playing career.
He played in Ghana, Italy, Libya, Russia, Israel and Scotland before joining the Right to Dream Academy to learn how to train the next generation of footballers.
He also already visited Danish side Nordsjaelland to join the coaching staff for two weeks as part of his training to become a coach as their feeder academy in Ghana.
