English Premier League Cult Hero Questions Absence of Jeffrey Schlupp From Ghana Squad For the World Cup

• Former Everton forward Yannick Bolasie is shocked at Jeffrey Schlupp's exclusion from the Ghana squad for the World Cup
• Schlupp failed to make the Black Stars' final 26-man squad after coach Otto Addo announced his team on Monday
• The Ghana squad are currently in Abu Dhabi preparing for the World Cup which begins on November 20 in Qatar

Former English Premier League star Yannick Bolasie is surprised Ghana left out Jeffrey Schlupp from their squad for the World Cup in Qatar.

Schlupp was not included in the final 26-man squad for the tournament, despite his rich run of form at Crystal Palace.

Following the announcement of the team on Monday, Bolasie took to social media to express his disappointment.

"No Schlupp," he wrote on Twitter with emojis depicting his surprise.

Ronaldo Nazario names 1 player he would have selected for Brazil's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad

Football

Schlupp is having a good campaign in the English Premier League with Crystal Palace, playing all 14 games this season.

His last appearance for the Black Stars was in 2017 and he had just made a return to the team after he was named in the 55-man squad.

Meanwhile, Black Stars coach Otto Addo explained why he could not invite Schlupp and Paintsil to his team for the tournament.

"I am a person who’s very much on principles, and one principle is that I wouldn’t like them to do to me. I hope you understand that I would not like to talk about players who are in the squad," Addo said as quoted by The Independent Ghana.

Addo said he had reasons - both on and off the pitch - which were communicated to the players about their selection or exclusion.

For me, that is it and they know why they are not in the squad."

2022 Carling Black Label Cup: Bafana Bafana coach criticises 'inconvenient' beer cup

Football

Ghana hold first training session

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that the Black Stars of Ghana held their first training session ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup on Monday, as days count down to the tournament.

Twenty-three players, including home-based duo Danlad Ibrahim and Daniel Afriyie Barnieh, were present at practice.

The rest of the players - namely Alexander Djiku, Joseph Aidoo and Kamaldeen Sulemana - are expected to join the team in UAE on Tuesday.