Amid an anxious wait for the final Black Stars squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, sports journalists have been dropping hints of players who have reportedly been omitted.
As at late Tuesday, November 8, 2022, it was widely reported that Cremonese's Felix Afena-Gyan and Anderlecht's Abdul Majeed Ashimeru were among players omitted from Otto Addo's team.
The exclusion of Crystal Palace star, Jeffrey Schlupp, was 'confirmed' via a critical post on Snapchat not by the player himself but by his friend, who has been mistakenly referred to on social media as his manager/agent.
Screenshots from Sir Calvin Riches' account, bore an abusive swipe at Ghana and at the Ghana Football Association, ostensibly for not calling up the player.
“Shit country I hope you guys get knocked out fuck Ghana,” one post read. “Fuck the Gfa. Ghanaians are disgraceful. Don’t ever call my phone ever again a bunch of people imbecile from the president all the way to the coach. Fuck you,” another post read.
Information available to GhanaWeb indicates that that Calvin works for Unique Sports Group, an outfit that provides communication support for Schlupp's agency, Ashton Media Group.
FIFA has set November 14 as the deadline for all 32 participating countries to release final squads.
However, 3 countries- Japan, Costa Rica, and Brazil have already named their final squads for the tournament due to start on November 20.
The Black Stars have a tall order as they have been pitted against Portugal, South Korea, and Uruguay in Group H of the World Cup.
They will begin their World Cup campaign against Portugal on November 24, followed by South Korea on November 28, and conclude against Uruguay on December 2 at the Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakra.
See the screenshots below:
Jeffrey Schlupp