Ghana Drops Arsenal Ace Partey as Country Aims for AFCON Survival

Ghana has decided to leave out Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey for their crucial Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola and Niger.

The first matchday of the qualifiers is set for Wednesday. Coach Otto Addo has not provided a reason for the exclusion of the 31-year-old, who has scored 13 goals in 49 international appearances for the Black Stars.

The decision has raised eyebrows, given Partey’s key role in Ghana’s midfield.

“My reasons are confidential. I hope he will rejoin us for the next international window in March (World Cup qualifying),” he told reporters.

In a surprising move, Leicester City forward Jordan Ayew has been appointed as the new captain of the Ghana national team, replacing West Ham United midfielder Mohamed Kudus.

The decision comes ahead of Ghana’s upcoming fixtures in the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with Ayew taking on the leadership role for the Black Stars.

Under Kudus’ leadership, Ghana could only manage a single point from their two encounters with Sudan, leaving them in a precarious position in Group F. With just two points from four matches, Ghana sits in third place, putting their hopes of qualifying for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco at risk.

To keep their qualification dreams alive, Ghana must secure victories in their upcoming matches: an away win against group leaders Angola on Friday, followed by a home win against Niger three days later. Failure to do so could see them miss out on the continental tournament for the first time since 2004.

Sudan, despite the challenges of playing their home matches outside the country due to ongoing civil unrest, only need one point from their remaining fixtures against Niger and Angola to secure their qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.