Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has explained his decision to exclude Thomas Partey out of Ghana’s 25-man squad in their upcoming AFCON qualifiers against Angola and Niger.
Otto Addo revealed that his choice was influenced by private conversations aimed at protecting the Arsenal midfielder.
Partey’s absence from these vital qualifiers has resulted in a leadership overhaul for the Black Stars, with Jordan Ayew taking over as captain.
“Like I said, it is confidential, so it’s difficult for me to mention all the things, so maybe we have to move on,” he added, indicating that the matter is settled.
The absence of Partey, a key figure in the Black Stars squad, has also led to adjustments in the team’s leadership structure.
Addo revealed that there were initial plans to make Partey captain, establishing him as the team’s guiding figure.
“The initiative was to make Thomas the captain of the team and for him to guide the team, to lead the team,” Addo stated.
The Black Stars of Ghana will face Angola on November 15 in Luanda, before facing Niger three days later, in Accra.
Ghana is currently third in Group F after recording two points out of four games and will need to beat Angola and Niger to stand a chance of making it to the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations set to be staged in Morocco.
