The Germany coach told the Schalke striker in a phone call today he would not be included in the provisional squad for the tournament he names next Thursday.

Kuranyi has been ostracised by Low since storming away from the Westfalenstadion in Dortmund before the final whistle after being omitted from the matchday squad for the qualifier against Russia in October 2008.

His fine form for Schalke this season - his 18 Bundesliga goals have helped guarantee the Royal Blues second place and Champions League football next term - led to calls for a recall, with even Franz Beckenbauer urging Low to swallow his pride and take the Brazil-born forward to South Africa.

Low, though, has decided not to change his stance.

"The disciplinary incident in October 2008 was not a consideration recently," Low said in a press release from the German Football Association (DFB).

"It would have been no problem for us to give him a new chance in the national team.

"However, after consideration among our coaching staff we came to the conclusion that we had other ideas, tactically and personnel-wise, for the composition of the World Cup squad.

"This I discussed today frankly with Kevin, who has had a strong season and whom I think is a player of sound character."

The decision to leave Kuranyi out of his squad is a brave one by Low.

He was the second-highest German in the scoring chants, with three goals fewer than Bayer Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling, who has been capped only three times.

Fellow internationals like Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez have been far from impressive at Bayern Munich, with 10 and three league goals respectively, while Lukas Podolski has managed just two in his first season back at Cologne.

Kuranyi was desperately disappointed not to be going to the World Cup.

"Like every footballer, I dreamed from when I was a little boy of being able to play in a World Cup," the striker, who also missed out on a place in Jurgen Klinsmann's squad for the 2006 tournament, wrote on his official website, www.kevin-kuranyi.de.

"This dream has now burst for a second time.

"Therefore it is clear that this decision makes me very sad.

"I gave my best. I know that I blundered when I left the stadium at half-time against Russia. Therefore I apologised for that personally and publicly. And I have also given everything sporting-wise this season.

"Unfortunately that has not sufficed.

"But it is the decision of national coach, and I accept and respect it. Of course I wish the coach and the team the best for South Africa."