The Black Stars have suffered a major blow ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers, as key midfielder Thomas Partey and three other players have been ruled out of the upcoming matches against Sudan.
The Ghana Football Association (GFA) confirmed the news in a statement on Monday evening, announcing that Partey, who plays for Arsenal, is dealing with medical issues and will undergo further tests in the coming days. This development means the midfielder will miss the crucial AFCON qualifiers.
Partey had previously captained the Black Stars in their opening qualifiers against Angola and Niger, but his absence, along with that of three other injured players, is a setback for the team. Joseph Paintsil, Osman Ibrahim, and Kingsley Schindler are all sidelined with injuries of varying severity.
- Thomas Partey: Thomas is unable to join the Black Stars due to medical issues he is currently experiencing, and his club has scheduled him for further tests in the coming days.
- Joseph Paintsil: He experienced some pain in his hamstrings during their last game on Saturday, October 5. His club doctors have scheduled him for an MRI on Monday, 7th October. He is therefore unavailable to join the Black Stars.
- Osman Ibrahim: Experienced pain in his calf muscles during their last game and was substituted in the 65th minute. His club has since communicated his unavailability to the Ghana Football Association.
- Kingsley Schindler: The player is unable to join the Black Stars due to a medical emergency he’s currently receiving treatment for.
To fill the gaps, the GFA has called up Michael Baidoo, Abu Francis, Jonas Adjetey, and Ibrahim Sadick to reinforce the squad for the upcoming qualifiers.
On Monday, the Black Stars held their first training session at the Accra Sports Stadium, with 11 players present. The rest of the squad is expected to arrive by Monday evening as preparations continue on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Ghana is set to face Sudan in the first leg of the qualifiers on Thursday, October 10, at the Accra Sports Stadium, with the return leg scheduled for October 14 at the Martyrs of February Stadium in Libya.
Following a 1-0 loss to Angola and a 1-1 draw with Niger in their previous matches, coach Otto Addo and his team will be aiming to claim all six points in these crucial fixtures.
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