GhanaWeb Feature
Considered one of the best right-backs in the history of Ghana football, John Paintsil's commitment when wearing the Black Stars jersey was never questioned by Ghanaians hence the love they show him on the streets.
Paintsil was instrumental in that heroic Black Stars squad who qualified for Ghana's first FIFA World Cup tournament in 2006 which was hosted by 4-time champions, Germany.
After bringing his illustrious career to an end in 2017, the Ghanaian legend is now into full-time coaching.
Today, we profile the defender whose historic celebrations after Ghana's qualification to the knockout phase of the 2010 World Cup has become the pick for many promo editors.
Early career
The 40-year-old footballer who was born on June 15, 1981, began his professional footballing career with boyhood club Berekum Arsenals before moving to Ghana's capital city, Accra to join talent hub Liberty Professionals FC in 2000.
He re-joined Berekum Arsenals in 2001 where he made appearances in the Ghana Premier League and scored a goal before leaving the shores of Ghana to play in the Israeli league.
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Club career abroad
John Paintsil left Berekum Arsenals in 2002 to join Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv and stayed with them for two years before joining their rivals Hapoel Tel Aviv in 2004. He won the Israeli League with Maccabi and won the league cup with Hapoel in his four-year stint. He made 92 appearances and scored four goals.
In 2006, Paintsil made got his breakthrough moment in his career to play in the English Premier League after excelling in the FIFA World Cup in Germany.
He signed for West Ham United and enjoyed a two-year stay at the London Sports Stadium with the Hammers before switching sides in 2008 to play for Fulham.
From Fulham where he spent three years, Paintsil joined Leicester City and Santos before retiring with Maritzburg United after spending two years in the South African Premier League.
National team
The defender was part of the Black Satellites team who were second in the FIFA World Youth Championship in Argentina in 2001. Because of his promising talent, he was drafted into the Black Stars the same year and played in the 2002 Africa Cup of Nations in Mali.
He went ahead to make 89 appearances for the Black Stars before hanging his national team boot after the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Paintsil played in six AFCON tournaments (2002, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013) and featured in both the 2006 FIFA World Cup and the 2010 edition in South Africa.
John was famous for the way he dressed while playing, he sometimes only wears one sleeve on his left arm leaving his right arm bare by simply cutting off the other sleeve and Ghanaians loved him for that.
Family
John Paintsil has three children, two girls, and a boy. Lawrencia, Junior, and Jebbey are the names of Paintsil's children.
For marriage, the former Black Stars defender was in the news for the bad reasons in 2013 after being arrested for assaulting his wife, Richlove, and stabbing her in the eye.
The marriage ended shortly after that but Paintsil appeared in the news again with his reported new wife when they showed up in each other’s arms at the 2019 Ghana Football Awards.
Author: Joel Eshun
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