Kevin-Prince Boateng "surprised" to be named on bench against USA

Kevin-Prince Boateng has admitted that he did not expect to be named on the bench prior to Ghana's 2-1 defeat to the USA in Group G on Monday night.

The Schalke midfielder suggested that Ghana manager Kwesi Appiah had made a mistake by deciding against selecting the 11 best players, with Michael Essien also being left out of the side before both were introduced in the second half.

Asked if the decision came as a shock, Boateng told reporters: "Yes, I was surprised. Because you're supposed to start with your best 11, but maybe the coach had a different idea."

Ghana face Germany on Saturday knowing that a defeat could end their hopes of reaching the second round.