Posted by Ghana will be making its fourth appearance at the World Cup when the ball gets rolling in Qatar come Sunday, November 20.
Head Coach of the team, Otto Addo earlier this week named a 26-man squad for the competition which will see Ghana play Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay in the Group stages.
In the squad for the competition are regular faces Thomas Partey, Andre Ayew, Jordan Ayew, Daniel Amartey, Baba Rahman, Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Kudus, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh and so on.
There’s also a place in the team for Tariq Lamptey, Inaki Williams, Dennis Odoi, Elisha Owusu and Antoine Semenyo who all switched allegiance to represent Ghana earlier this year.
Kamal Sowah and Salis Abdul Samed have been handed their maiden call-ups, while Daniel Afriyie Barnieh and Ibrahim Danlad were the only local players to make the squad.
Despite the strong squad named by Otto Addo, some familiar faces missed out. Here, MahamaShaibu.com brings you ten (10) of those players.
1. Joseph Wollacott
Wollacott was due to be named in Ghana’s final squad for the World Cup and was expected to be in post for the team but a finger injury he suffered ahead of Charlton’s game against Burton Albion last weekend ruled him out of the competition.
2. Felix Afena-Gyan
The career of Felix Afena-Gyan hasn’t gone as expected since he joined Cremonese, and his exclusion from the World Cup squad is a low point. Afena-Gyan since moving to the newly promoted side has made just 2 league starts. However, he will feel let down by Otto Addo having played an integral role in the qualifiers against Nigeria.
3. Mubarak Wakaso
One of the most experienced players in Ghana’s side currently. Wakaso has made 67 appearances for the team but has in recent months struggled to feature for the team due to injuries. In the summer, Mubarak Wakaso moved from Shenzen to Eupen in order to make a case for a World Cup spot. However, his display with his new team wasn’t enough to convince Otto Addo.
4. Jeffrey Schlupp
Among the most shocking of the announcement was Jeffrey Schlupp’s absence. The Crystal Palace forward has been in great form for his team since the start of last season but it is shocking to know that he hasn’t featured for Ghana since September last year, a situation which has left people asking questions.
5. Majeed Ashimeru
Since the beginning of the year, Majeed Ashimeru has emerged as one of Ghana’s most performing midfielders in Europe. In spite of his good form that has seen him become a household name in Anderlecht, he’s yet to earn a call-up to the Black Stars this year.
6. Joseph Painstil
Joseph Painstil is having a great time at the moment this season and his absence was a major shock. With 6 goals and 6 assists, the Genk forward has made more goal contributions than any of the wingers in Ghana’s squad for the Mundial. Nevertheless, he was omitted from the squad, with Otto Addo preferring the likes of Fatawu Issahaku, Kamal Sowah and Kamaldeen Sulemana to him.
7. Baba Iddrisu
Hard to think Ghana would have left Baba Iddrisu behind for the World Cup if he was fit. The midfielder was due to be named in the final squad but an injury against Atletico de Madrid dashed his World Cup hopes.
8. Richard Ofori
Another player who was due to be named in Ghana’s squad for the World Cup but was left out after he picked up an injury while playing for his club team, Orlando Pirates. Richard Ofori will feel hard done by the situation, especially after he missed early this year’s African Cup of Nations due to similar reason.
9. Andy Yiadom
Not many people have made numerous appearances for the Black Stars than Andy Yiadom since he made his debut in 2017. However, the emergence of Tariq Lamptey and Dennis Odoi has seen him move down the pecking order.
10. Jonathan Mensah
One of Ghana’s most experienced players. Jonathan Mensah since arriving on the scene in 2009 has made 69 appearances for the team. Howbeit, he has struggled to break into the team in recent times, which is largely due to the emergence of the likes of Mohammed Salisu, Daniel Amartey, Alexander Djiku, Joseph Aidoo, Alidu Seidu and so on.