Eagles Nemesis, Wollacott, Dropped from Ghana’s Squad

Femi Solaja 

The man who stood between the sticks and denied Super Eagles of Nigeria the opportunity to play at the World Cup in Qatar, Jojo Wollacott, has been dropped from Ghana’s 26-man final World Cup 2022 list .

Wollacott was between the sticks in the two leg encounters in Kumasi and Abuja as both teams played a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture at MKO Stadium and gave Ghana the edge on away goal rule. 

The keeper, it would be remembered stopped two glaring chances off the boots of Moses Simon and Victor Osimhen in the goalless encounter in Kumasi and was very active between the sticks in the return leg that ended 1-1. 

But yesterday when the final list was rolled out, his name was conspicuously missing as the first-choice goalkeeper suffered a finger injury before his final club game before the tournament. 

Charlton Athletic’s Wollacott, 26, was injured in the warm-up for a League One match at Burton on Saturday, and has been left out of the Black Stars squad for Qatar. 

Arsenal midfielder, Thomas Partey, who silenced the 60,000-capacity crowd in Abuja with a 10th minute free kick that beats Super Eagles’ Francis Uzoho for the opener is among the five Premier League players included by coach Otto Addo. 

Brighton wing-back Tariq Lamptey, Leicester City centre-back Daniel Amartey, Southampton defender Mohamed Salisu and Crystal Palace forward Jordan Ayew will also travel to the finals. 

Former Spain international Inaki Williams, who switched allegiance and made his Ghana debut in a friendly defeat by Brazil in September, is among the 26 while captain Andre Ayew is in line to feature at his third World Cup finals. 

Ghana is the lowest-ranked team at the tournament and will face Portugal, South Korea and Uruguay in Group H. 

Ghana Squad.

Goalkeepers: Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St Gallen), Danlad Ibrahim (Asante Kotoko), Abdul Manaf Nurudeen (Eupen). 

Defenders: Joseph Aidoo (Celta Vigo), Daniel Amartey (Leicester City), Alexander Djiku (Racing Strasbourg), Tariq Lamptey (Brighton & Hove Albion), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Denis Odoi (Club Bruges), Baba Rahman (Reading), Mohammed Salisu (Southampton), Alidu Seidu (Clermont). 

Midfielders: Mohammed Kudus (Ajax), Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (Freiburg), Elisha Owusu (Gent), Thomas Partey (Arsenal), Salis Abdul Samed (Lens). 

Forwards: Daniel Afriyie (Hearts of Oak), Andre Ayew (Al Sadd), Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace), Osman Bukari (Red Star Belgrade), Issahaku Abdul Fatawu (Sporting Lisbon), Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City), Kamal Sowah (Club Bruges), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao).