Chris Hughton explains why Thomas Partey did not feature in Angola, Ghana draw

The reason why midfielder Thomas Partey did not participate in Ghana’s match against Angola on Monday has been revealed by Chris Hughton, the head coach of the Ghana national team.

Partey, who is a star player for Arsenal, was not included in the Black Stars’ starting eleven for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match, causing confusion among many Ghanaians regarding the coach’s decision.

During the post-match press conference, Hughton clarified that Partey was dealing with a minor injury issue, which made it too risky for him to start.

“Thomas has a small injury issue & we felt it was too big of a risk to start him,” the new Black Stars head coach said.

Despite his absence, Ghana managed to secure a 1-1 draw with Angola, allowing them to maintain their top spot in Group E standings for the 2023 AFCON qualifiers.