Paintsil dropped from Ghana's squad for the opening 2014 World Cup qualifiers

By Ameenu Shardow

Defender John Paintsil insists he is not aggrieved at being excluded from the Black Stars squad named for the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.

The inactive club career has proved costly  for the 30-year-old after his names was conspicuously missing from the 30-man squad named by coach Akwasi Appiah for the games against Lesotho and Zambia.

Paintsil who was released from his Leicester contract earlier this month however says he has no hard feelings at being dropped.

“The national team is not for me alone, its if for all Ghanaians so I have no problem at all at being dropped,” he told Kumasi-based Angel FM.

“Selfishness is not one of my traits and after playing in the Black Stars for ten years why should I be aggrieved at being dropped?

“When I first got a call up to the national team, there were other senior players but I got the chance so definitely others will be also given the chance now that I am also a senior player.

“I am more worried not playing for a club rather than for the national team because the Black Stars is for all Ghanaians and not just a selected few.”

The Ghana team will start a non-residential camp in Accra on 21 May before its prunned down for the trip to Kumasi on 27^th May ahead of the match against Lesotho on June 1.