Former Black Stars defender Shilla Illiasu has warned that improper handling of the national team’s captaincy transition could lead to division within the squad.
With Ghana set to face Chad and Madagascar in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, reports suggest that Jordan Ayew is in line to be named the new captain of the senior national team.
In the absence of Andre Ayew, midfielder Thomas Partey has been wearing the captain’s armband.
However, Illiasu believes that shifting the leadership role from Partey to Ayew must be managed carefully to avoid tensions within the team.
Speaking to Citi Sports, Illiasu highlighted concerns about the squad’s internal dynamics.
“For the old players, our fear and our worry is that if care is not taken, it will come to a time that the team will be divided into two because whether we like it or not, Partey has his own—I’m not going to say a camp or maybe his people; but the reality is that when you are in a national team, you have people that you always go to. So me, I don’t have any problem with the coach giving the captain’s armband to Jordan,” he said.
Illiasu also questioned the timing of the decision and urged Black Stars head coach Otto Addo to consider the potential consequences.
“But the question is, why now? Well, initially, it was Partey. Is it that maybe because we didn’t qualify for the AFCON?
“But we should also remember it was the same Partey who captained Ghana in those two crucial games against Mali in Bamako and the Central African Republic in Kumasi.
“So what I can say is that we just have to be very careful. When you look at the game itself, you know, you can’t compare Jordan to Partey in terms of experience,” he added.