Germany announces squad

Germany, one of Ghana’s Black Stars opponents at the South Africa 2010 FIFA World Cup have announced their provisional 27-man squad for the tournament.

Head Coach Joachim Loew named his squad on Thursday in Frankfurt with Hamburg defender Dennis Aogo and Bayern Munich youngster Holger Badstuber as the surprise names in the team whilst striker Kevin Kuranyi was left out.

The two uncapped players were included in the provisional squad after impressing with their respective clubs this season.

Information gathered by GNA Sports indicates that 19-year old midfielder Toni Kroos, the Golden Ball winner at the FIFA U-17 Championship held in Korea in 2007 has also been included in the squad.

Only eight members of the provisional team were part of the squad that played at the 2006 World Cup on home soil.

The invited players include Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg) and Michael Ballack, (Chelsea) the only foreign based player.

Die Mannschaft as the Germans are nicknamed will play warm-up games against Malta in Aachen on 13 May, Hungary in Budapest on 29 May and Bosnia-Herzegovina in Frankfurt on 3 June.

Loew will name is his final 23-man squad on June 1.

The Germans will open their campaign against Australia on June 13 in Durban, play Serbia six days later in Port Elizabeth before wrapping up the Group stage against Ghana’s Black Stars on June 23 in Johannesburg.

Germany are three times winners of the Mundial in 1954, 1974 and 1990.

The Squad:

Goalkeepers: Hans-Jorg Butt (Bayern Munich), Manuel Neuer (Schalke 04), Tim Wiese (Werder Bremen)

Defenders: Per Mertesacker (Werder Bremen), Heiko Westermann (Schalke 04), Philipp Lahm (Bayern Munich), Jerome Boateng (Hamburg), Andreas Beck (Hoffenheim), Arne Friedrich (Hertha Berlin), Serdar Tasci (Stuttgart), Marcell Jansen (Hamburg), Holger Badstuber (Bayern Munich), Dennis Aogo (Hamburg).

Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea/ENG), Sami Khedira (Stuggart), Piotr Trochowski (Hamburg), Marko Marin (Werder Bremen), Bastian Schweinsteiger (Bayern Munich), Christian Trasch (Stuttgart), Mesut Ozil (Werder Bremen), Toni Kroos (Bayer Leverkusen).

Forwards: Lukas Podolski (Cologne), Miroslav Klose (Bayern Munich), Stefan Kiessling (Bayer Leverkusen), Cacau (Stuttgart), Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich), Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich).

Source: GNA