LA Galaxy winger Joseph Paintsil has earned a long-awaited recall to the Ghana national side ahead of next month’s crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Chad and Mali.
The 27-year-old has been in sterling form in the Major League Soccer this season, netting eight goals and registering two assists in 23 appearances across all competitions—a consistency that has not gone unnoticed by Ghana head coach Otto Addo.
Paintsil’s return comes after an extended absence from the Black Stars, with his last outing being the 1-0 home defeat to Angola in September 2024 at Kumasi’s Baba Yara Stadium.
To date, he has amassed five goals and one assist in the 2025 MLS regular season (across 19 league matches), contributing to a goal involvement rate of 0.35 per 90 minutes, placing him among the top percentile of MLS players in that metric.Artefacts from Transfermarkt further confirm his current tally of five goals and one assist in 20 MLS appearances, accruing around 1,552 minutes played.
In addition to his scoring exploits, Paintsil played a vital role in LA Galaxy’s MLS Cup triumph in December 2024, scoring the opening goal in their 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls.
Ghana will be hoping that Paintsil can replicate his club form on the international stage, adding crucial attacking depth as the Black Stars look to secure victory in both fixtures and edge closer to a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
