2026 World Cup Qualifiers: Ghana winger Joseph Paintsil to miss Mali, CAR games due to injuries

Ghana winger, Joseph Paintsil, will be absent from the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.

The Black Stars are gearing up for a crucial clash against Mali at Stade du 26 Mars on June 6, followed by a home showdown against the Central African Republic at Baba Yara Stadium.

However, the 26-year-old Paintsil, now plying his trade with Major League Soccer's LA Galaxy, is sidelined due to an injury that will keep him out until June.

LA Galaxy's head coach, Greg Vanney, shared in a pre-game press conference before their match against Houston Dynamo on Sunday that Paintsil had to be substituted after 52 minutes in Galaxy's 2-2 draw with Minnesota on May 16. He also missed the subsequent game against Charlotte FC on May 18.

Vanney discussed the winger's injury and hinted at the possibility of his return for the June 2 clash against Chicago Fire, stating, "We'll see how he progresses through the course of the week. He's very questionable for Chicago. We'll monitor his recovery this week. He's played around 45 games since his European season started in August, so this is a good time for him to recover and prepare for the second half of the season."

Since his transfer from Belgian side KRC Genk, Paintsil has made an impact, netting four goals and providing four assists in 13 league appearances.

Meanwhile, Ghana's head coach, Otto Addo, is set to arrive in the country later today, with the team scheduled to commence camp on May 30.

Currently, Ghana occupies the fourth spot in Group I with three points and is eager to reignite their qualification hopes following a mixed start to their campaign.

The Black Stars clinched a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Madagascar but stumbled to an unexpected defeat against Comoros.