The Black Stars’ invitation to German-born player Kingsley Schindler for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola has made him a hot issue.
Tariq Lamptey, a defender for Brighton and Hove Albion, was injured and replaced by Schindler.
“Kingsley Schindler has been called up to replace the injured Tariq Lamptey for this week’s TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola,” Ghana Football Association (GFA) confirmed in a statement on Tuesday, March 21, 2023.
Because he is not a well-known name among Ghanaian players born overseas who are closely watched by the GFA, his call-up aroused eyebrows.
The defender arrived on Monday along with 16 other players who had traveled early for the match against Angola.
Schindler plays for FC Koln in the German top-flight league. He joined Koln in 2019.
After a difficult first two years at Koln, which involves a loan move, he has eventually secured a place in the team.
He played 26 matches in all competitions this season amounting to 1,117 minutes. He scored one goal.
His goal sealed the Europa Conference League group-stage qualification for FC Koln. Unfortunately, they could not make it out of their group.
Schindler was born in Hamburg, Germany, and holds German citizenship. He started his youth career at SC Concordia before joining Hannover 96 youth team in 2011.
He has become the fourth Ghanaian born in Germany to switch nationality to Ghana in one year.
Schindler started his career as a winger before evolving into a fullback. During his time at Holstein Kiel in Bundesliga 2, he hit scored 12 goals.
At Koln, he often plays as a full-back and occasionally as a winger. He could also play in the central area, which explains his versatility.