Henry Asante Twum, the Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), has clarified the reason for Thomas Partey’s absence from the Black Stars camp ahead of their upcoming doubleheader against Sudan in the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
The Arsenal midfielder will not participate in the matches, with Michael Baidoo receiving his first call-up as his replacement. On Monday, the GFA announced Partey’s withdrawal from the squad due to a medical issue.
In an interview with Asempa FM, Asante Twum stated that Partey’s absence is due to an illness but refrained from disclosing the specific nature of the condition. “Thomas Partey isn’t injured but rather sick. It isn’t malaria, and I can’t disclose the kind of illness he is suffering from at the moment,” he explained.
“It is not everything we can put in the public domain, and if it is not an illness that everyone around him knows, I wouldn’t say he is sick. I can’t, however, bring out 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 players joining the camp for 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 in their opening match and a 1-1 draw with Niger.
