Black Starlets coach Laryea Kingston has expressed his surprise at his team's defeat against Russia during the 2024 UEFA U16 Invitational Tournament. Despite this setback, he noted significant improvement in subsequent games.

Ghana's U17 national team, the Black Starlets, faced an unexpected hurdle in their opening match at the 2024 UEFA U16 Invitational Tournament in Russia, falling 3-1 to the host nation.

Coach Laryea Kingston described the loss as "shocking" but highlighted the team's resilience and progress in their gameplay afterward.

This tournament marked the Black Starlets' second consecutive appearance, having previously competed in Serbia.

Despite the initial defeat against Russia, the team demonstrated a remarkable turnaround in their following matches, securing convincing 5-1 victories.

Reflecting on the team's journey, Kingston stressed the importance of learning from setbacks.

He commented, "We had our first loss since the Technical team took over. For us, it was very shocking... But for me, I think our next game against Serbia, they learned from their mistakes and then they came out playing very well."

Despite the defeat, the coach commended the team's performance, noting promising qualities displayed on the field.

With valuable lessons learned, the Black Starlets returned to Ghana and are now preparing for the WAFU B U17 Cup of Nations.

Their campaign kicks off in Accra against Cote d'Ivoire next Wednesday, followed by a match against Benin six days later.

To gear up for the championship, Ghana will engage Niger in a preparatory game, aiming to fine-tune their strategies and build momentum ahead of the tournament.