Ghana coach Otto Addo has given out reasons for not inviting Genk talisman Joseph Paintsil for Brazil and Nicaragua friendlies.[ads2]
Otto Addo has come serious criticisms after excluding the 24-year old from the country’s 29-man squad for the two international friendly matches this month.
The former Tema Youth midfielder has been in a blistering form this season for Belgian club Genk, involving himself directly in six goals in eight matches and was highly expected to be part of the Ghana squad for the two international friendly matches.
But speaking at the pre-match conference ahead of the Ghana-Brazil game, Otto Addo indicated that Joseph Paintsil is currently in a top form but he needed to try other players whom he believes are ahead of the winger.[ads3]
“Joseph [Painstil] is doing very well. It would have been good for him to play the Japan and Chile games to show more of himself but he had problems and decided to leave the team,” he noted.
“Also, he wanted to start with his team [Genk], this one I can understand. Surely I can just judge what I see.
“At the moment, I see others ahead of him but I think Joseph is a good player. He’s not with the squad now, it doesn’t mean everything is gone. Anything can still happen, we are monitoring all the players, and their performances so the gate is not closed.”[ads4]
Ghana face five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil in an international friendly match at the Stade Oceane in Le Havre in France on September 23 before playing Nicaragua at the Estadio Francisco Artes Carrasco in Spain on September 27, 2022.
The two matches is to serve as preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar slated for November with Ghana paired in group H alongside Portugal, Uruguay and Korea Republic.[ads5]