Thomas Partey Named Ghana Captain After Andre Ayew and Richard Ofori's Exclusion from Black Stars

• Thomas Partey has been named captain of the Black Stars
• The Arsenal star will lead Ghana in the World Cup qualifiers
• Ghana will face Mali and the Central African Republic in June

Otto Addo, the Black Stars coach, has confirmed that Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey will captain the Black Stars for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The four-time African champions, Ghana will face Mali and the Central African Republic in June.

Addo named his 26-man squad for the two games on Wednesday, May 29, excluding captain Andre Ayew and his deputy Richard Ofori.

However, with Partey returning to the squad for the first time since October 2023, the 30-year-old has been tasked to lead the Black Stars for the crucial matches.

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"Thomas Partey will captain the team," he said when asked during the presser in Accra on Wednesday, as spotted on social media.

Partey is one of the most experienced players in the Black Stars team, having made 45 appearances and scored 13 goals for Ghana, per Transfermarkt.

He has represented Ghana at two Africa Cup of Nations and one World Cup. He was captain of the Black Stars in the World Cup qualifiers play-off against Nigeria in 2022, leading the team to the global showpiece.

Addo drops Ayew for World Cup qualifiers

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Black Stars coach Otto Addo dropped Ghana captain Andre Ayew for the World Cup qualifiers against Mali and the Central African Republic.

The former Dortmund and Ghana international, however, invited two debutants Ibrahim Sulemana and Brandon Thomas-Asante for the matches in June.

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In a meeting with the press on Wednesday in Accra, the former Dortmund midfielder expressed delight in making a return to the national team on a full-time basis.

Partey performs father duties during vacation

Sports Brief also reported that Ghanaian midfielder, Thomas Partey resumed his father role following the end of a long campaign with English Premier League side, Arsenal.

Partey and his partner, Janine Mackson, welcomed their first child together in January after months of dating. The Ghana international reportedly engaged his model girlfriend at a private event early this year.

Having battled injuries for most of the campaign, the ex-Atletico Madrid star returned to end the season on a strong note, helping Arsenal finish second behind Manchester City.