Black Stars coach Otto Addo has explained his decision to leave Thomas Partey out of Ghana’s squad for upcoming matches African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Angola and Niger.
The Black Stars will travel to Angola on Friday, November 15, and then they’ll host Niger on Monday, November 18—two crucial games in the AFCON qualification race. However, Ghana’s coach Otto Addo has chosen to leave out the experienced midfielder for these matches.
Speaking on the decision, Otto Addo said: “I had a confidential talk with Thomas. I am a coach who always likes to protect the players, so I hope for your understanding. For me, the team is like family, I am not coming out with internal issues – but I made it quite clear to him.
“He wanted to come, he wanted to come, but I made it quite clear why he is not coming. Like I said, it’s confidential. It is difficult for me to mention all the things. It’s like that. We have to move on.
“Now, as you know, Thomas is not coming and it’s not a permanent thing, so we are always open for him to return. I hope that the things we talked that he will do better in that and that he will join the team maybe in the next window in March. I think he had a good perspective. We had a good talk and we are on good terms.”
Thomas Partey was initially planned to lead the squad, but in his absence, Jordan Ayew will lead the team and will be deputized by Alexander Djiku and Mohammed Kudus.
Ghana needs a miracle to qualify for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, as they are currently in third place in Group F, with just 2 points from 4 games. They are 10 points behind Angola and 5 points behind Sudan.
To secure a spot at the 2025, the team must win their remaining matches and hope that Sudan falters.
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