‘Being dropped from world cup squad and my father’s death strengthened me’ — Painstil reveals

Ghanaian winger Joseph Paintsil has recently shared his personal journey, revealing how being dropped from the World Cup squad and the loss of his father in the same week had a huge blow on him.

Despite his excellent form and contributions to the team, the 25-year-old was unexpectedly left out of Ghana's squad for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Shortly thereafter, Paintsil lost his father.

However, he has now opened up about how these challenging circumstances ultimately strengthened and spurred him on.

Mr Paintsil said the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup squad became a motivation for him to continue performing well on the field, with the goal of making his late father proud.

In an interview with 3FM monitored by ModernGhana News, he shared, "It really motivated [missing out on the World Cup squad] me and I think the same week my father passed away. May his soul rest in peace.”

“Normally if it were to be someone else, it would have dimmed the spirit of the person, but it rather strengthened me, and I know my father would be happy,” Painstil added.

Despite the initial setback, Paintsil remained determined and persevered, while staying focused on his football career and dedicated himself entirely to his club, KRC Genk.

Reflecting on this period, he said,“I still stood on my ground and fought very hard. Even though the World Cup selection was a little bit sad from the start, I just advised myself to concentrate on my football career and just concentrate on the club and just put in everything and it just started and everything was working good for me.”

Following the World Cup, there was a change in the leadership of the Ghanaian national team.

Chris Hughton replaced Otto Addo as the head coach, and Paintsil was subsequently called up to represent Ghana once again.

Despite the disappointment he initially felt, Paintsil holds no grudges and remains focused on seizing any future opportunities he is given with the Black Stars.

He expressed his forward-looking approach, stating, "I felt a little bit disappointed in the past but you never know, everybody has his decision as a coach and I do need to respect it and move on as a professional footballer with a great mindset and just do what I need to do on the field of play when I'm given the opportunity."

Paintsil finished the 2022/23 campaign as the top scorer from Ghana playing in Europe.

He showcased his talent by netting 18 goals and providing 14 assists, solidifying his reputation as a skilled and valuable player.