Ricardo Pepi has been cut from the US squad for the World Cup in Qatar. FC Groningen are missing from the attacking list, but former Eredivisie players Sergiño Dest and Luca de la Torre have places. Former Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana will accompany Cameroon to the World Cup.
The tournament in Qatar has come too soon for nineteen-year-old Pepi, who despite his young age already has twelve caps to his name. In those international matches, the attacker, who has been on loan at FC Groningen since this summer, has scored three times.
Test, the former Ajax player, is part of the United States’ squad for an eleventh global finals after missing out on the 2018 World Cup. AC Milan’s right-back is one of the stars of ‘The Stars and Stripes’ alongside Giovani Reina (Borussia Dortmund) and Christian Pulisic (Chelsea).
The former Heraclits de la Torre (now Celta de Vigo) has been called up by national coach Greg Berhalter for the USA opener against Wales on November 21. The United States will also face England and Iran in the group stage.
WK- Selectie Verenigde Staten
- Doel: Sean Johnson (New York City FC), Ethan Horvath (Luton Town), Matt Turner (Arsenal)
- Verdediging: Cameron Carter-Vickers (Celtic), Sergiño Dest (AC Milan), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Shaq Moore (Nashville SC), Tim Ream, Fulham), Antonee Robinson (Fulham), Joe Scally (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Deandre Yedlin (Inter Miami), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC)
- Middenveld: Kellyn Acosta (Los Angeles FC), Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United), Tyler Adams (Leeds United), Luca de la Torre (Celta de Vigo), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)
- Aanval: Jesús Ferreira (FC Dallas), Jordan Morris (Seattle Sounders), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Josh Sargent (Norwich City), Timothy Weah (Lille OSC), Haji Wright (Antalyaspor)
Onana with Cameroon for the World Cup
Onana will represent Cameroon at the World Cup. After an adjustment period, the former Ajax keeper has been picking up international playing minutes in recent weeks and is usually up front in Cameroon.
Surprisingly, national coach Ricobert Tsang picked both players along with Cameroon’s national team players Souibo Maro and Jerome Ngome. They only played their first international in an exhibition game against Jamaica, hours before the election.
Vincent Abubakar is the captain of the team known as the ‘Indomitable Lions’. Saudi Arabian striker Al Nasser also played in the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
Cameroon will play against Switzerland, Serbia and Brazil in the group stage in Qatar. Cameroon missed out on previous World Cups and in the 2010 and 2014 tournaments, the country was already stuck in the group stage.
WK-selectie Kameroen
- Doel: Devis Epassy (Abha Club), Simon Ngapandouetnbu (Olympique de Marseille), André Onana (Internazionale)
- Verdediging: Jean-Charles Castelletto (FC Nantes), Enzo Ebosse (Udinese), Collins Fai (Al Tai), Olivier Mbaizo (Philadelphia Union), Nicolas Nkoulou (Aris FC), Tolo Nouhou (Seattle Sounders), Christopher Wooh (Stade Rennais)
- Middenveld: Martin Hongla (Verona), Pierre Kunde (Olympiacos), Olivier Ntcham (Swansea City), Gael Ondoua (Hannover 96), Samuel Oum Gouet (KV Mechelen), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (Napoli)
- Aanval: Vincent Aboubakar (Al Nassr), Christian Bassogog (Shanghai Shenhua), Eric-Maxime Choupo Moting (Bayern München), Souaibou Marou (Coton Sport), Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford), Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu (Young Boys), Jerome Ngom (Colombe Dja), Georges-Kevin Nkoudou (Besiktas), Jean-Pierre Nsame (Young Boys), Karl Toko Ekambi (Olympique de Lyonnais)
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