Henry Asante Twum, the Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has provided insights into the absence of Thomas Partey from the Black Stars camp ahead of their crucial doubleheader against Sudan in the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Arsenal midfielder will miss the upcoming matches, with Michael Baidoo receiving his first call-up as his replacement. The GFA announced on Monday that Partey would not participate due to a medical issue.
In an interview with Asempa FM, Asante Twum clarified that Partey’s absence is attributed to illness, although he refrained from specifying the exact nature of the condition.
“Thomas Partey isn’t injured but rather ill. He is sick and not injured, as speculations suggest. It isn’t malaria, and I can’t disclose the kind of illness he is suffering from at the moment,” he stated.
“It is not everything we can put in the public domain, and of course, if it is not an illness that everyone [around] him knows, I wouldn’t say he is sick. I can’t, however, disclose his medical record,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Black Stars kicked off their first training session on Monday at the Accra Sports Stadium, featuring 11 players, with an additional eight joining the camp ahead of the second training session.
The first match of the doubleheader is scheduled for Thursday, October 10, at the Accra Sports Stadium, followed by the return leg on October 14 at the Martyrs of February Stadium in Libya. Currently, Ghana sits in third place in Group F, having secured only one point after a 1-0 loss to Angola and a 1-1 draw with Niger.
