Ghana drops Sweden-based goalkeeper

Ghana has barred international keeper Williams Amamoo from its World Cup qualification campaign after he opted out of a friendly match to stay with his Swedish club.

The world Cup qualifier is slated for June 7 against Mali and the football club has granted permission to the player to participate but Ghana reacted angrily to Amamoo's decision to stay away from the Uganda friendly by dropping him.

Vasalund’s boss Niclas Froberg told the Swedish state broadcaster that the Ghanaian reaction was strange.

The club denied earlier reports that it refused to allow the player to honor his national obligations.

Ander Jonson, Vasalund's manager told Nordic Africa News on Friday that the decision not to join the Ghanaian national team was taken by the player after the club told him that this would be risky.

He said Ghana asked for the player to join them on a training camp from May 24 to June 17 when the last of the World Cup qualifiers will be played.

Jonson noted that this means Amamoo would have missed four crucial club matches which could put his place and future with the team in doubt.

The manager said he wrote to the Ghanaian authorities and told them the player would honor the international matches but that he would return to play for the club.

"We said to William if he wants to put his career on the line, we will not stop him, " Jonson said.

"But William took the decision to stay with us and join the Ghanaian team later and then come back to play our matches" adding that the player felt it was safe for him to do so.

Jonson added that Amamoo is an outstanding goalkeeper who is an important member of the club.

He explained that the schedule of the World Cup qualifiers could be a problem for many African players in the Swedish league because, unlike other European leagues, the Swedish championship is still going.

Amamoo will now feature for his club in its two pending league matches against Qviding and Sirius