Ghana international Joseph Paintsil has opened up on his omission from the 2022 FIFA World Cup squad, revealing confusion over the justification provided by then head coach Otto Addo.
The LA Galaxy forward disclosed that discussions with the technical team ahead of the tournament were inconsistent, despite his strong performances at club level. Paintsil claimed that Addo acknowledged his quality and goal-scoring form, only to later suggest that selection decisions extended beyond conventional attacking metrics.
“We had a lot of up and down talks,” Paintsil said. “The coach also admitted I’m really good. I’m scoring goals and everything, but in the end, the explanation I got was that football is not about goals and assists.”
The statement has reignited debate over Ghana’s squad selection process for the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where several in-form players were overlooked. Paintsil’s remarks suggest a lack of clarity in communication between player and management, raising questions about the criteria used in final squad decisions.
At the time, Addo emphasized tactical balance and team cohesion as key factors in shaping the squad, often prioritizing players who fit specific system roles over those with standout individual statistics.
Paintsil, who has since continued to develop into a key attacking figure for both club and country, admitted he was left perplexed by the reasoning. “I was like, what is really going on?” he added, highlighting his frustration during the period.
His comments are likely to fuel ongoing scrutiny of past selection decisions, particularly as Ghana continues to rebuild and refine its squad ahead of the world cup.
