Ghana's Kingston Keen to Erase World Cup Heartbreak

Published on: 27 May 2010

Midfielder Laryea Kingston was unable to hold back the tears as he sat in a hotel room four years ago to watch Ghana make their World Cup debut.

The full impact of having his lifelong dream snatched away was too much to bear for the midfielder, who was paying the ultimate price for a moment of madness that took place more than four months earlier. Kingston knew he would have been playing against Italy in Hannover on June 12, 2006 had he not been sent off for fighting with Senegal's Habib Beye during that year's African Nations Cup.

The incident saw both players hit with unprecedented four-match bans, ruling Kingston out of all his country's World Cup Group E games.

The head coach at the time, Ratomir Dujkovic, decided it was therefore not worth including the midfielder in his squad.

Kingston told Press Association Sport: "The management thought that because it was our first time going to the World Cup, we weren't going to the next round.

"People in Ghana were telling them, 'You shouldn't be thinking that. We might go through and then we might need Kingston'."

Despite being beaten by eventual champions Italy, Ghana did just that, seeing off both the Czech Republic and the USA to set up a mouthwatering last-16 clash with Brazil.

For Kingston, who turned down an invitation to join the squad in Germany in a non-playing capacity, missing out four years ago was the lowest point of his career.

"I did everything to qualify the country for the first time," he said.

"I played every game in the qualifiers and when we get to the tournament, I'm not there. It's a very big disappointment."

Kingston booked a holiday to try to distract himself from the pain of being denied a chance to star on the world stage.

But so patriotic is the now 29-year-old, he could not bring himself to miss the Italy game.

"I watched it at my holiday hotel and I was crying," said Kingston, who admitted he would have suffered even more of a breakdown had he actually accepted the invitation to go to Germany.

"Imagine if I was there - the emotions would have been too much."

Kingston could be forgiven for fearing a repeat of his World Cup nightmare ahead of this summer's tournament in South Africa.

A hamstring injury forced him to miss January's African Nations Cup, which saw Ghana finish runners-up.

It was the latest in a series of fitness problems that dogged the player after he joined Hearts three years ago.

He also fell out of favour under former Jambos boss Csaba Laszlo but enjoyed a new lease of life when the Hungarian was succeeded by Jim Jefferies - though he is set to leave the club when his contract expires.

And he revealed he has been in regular contact with Ghana head coach Milovan Rajevac, who has kept tabs on the midfielder's form.

"He has been calling me at least once every two weeks," said Kingston.

"I've done a lot for the country and, if I'm fit, they still have respect for me.

"They still believe in me, they still know what I can do for them.

"If I wasn't injured, I'm sure I'd have made it to the Nations Cup, and I'm sure I'll be in the squad for the World Cup."

Ghana's attempt to reach the knockout stage for the second successive tournament will be impeded by Group D rivals Serbia, Australia and Germany.

On paper, it would appear they will need to take at least four points from their opening two matches.

Kingston said: "One thing about Ghanaians is they respect every country.

"After the draw, they said, 'It's a tough group'. You have to go there and give everything.

"We should make sure we go further than we did four years ago."

The midfielder believes all six African teams will benefit from the tournament being held on the continent for the first time.

And he is also confident there will not be a repeat of the fatal shootings which cast a shadow over the African Nations Cup.

He added: "I believe the South Africa organising committee have arranged a lot of security."

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