Akaminko, Schlupp cut from Ghana World Cup squad

A heavy fall on his ankle in the last minute of Saturday’s warm-up match against the Netherlands has cost Ghana defender Jerry Akaminko a World Cup place after he was ruled out for three months and became one of three players cut from the squad.

Fellow defender Jeffrey Schlupp and Swedish-based midfielder David Accam were also left out as coach Kwesi Appiah settled on his final 23-man squad as Ghana flew to Miami on Sunday after their 1-0 loss to the Dutch in Rotterdam. Turkey-based centre back Akaminko will have surgery in the United States after fracturing a left ankle joint. "It’s unfortunate that Jerry has got to face this," Appiah told the Ghana Football Association website (www.ghanafa.org). "Looking at the training he has done with the team, we had lots of hope (for him) at the World Cup." Ghana, who play Germany, Portugal and the U.S. in Brazil, made few surprises in their preliminary selection of 26. Both Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari have been picked for a third successive World Cup while Michael Essien returns after competing in Germany in 2006 but missing 2010 through injury.