Ghana Coach Otto Addo Unbothered By Absence of Captain Thomas Partey

• Ghana coach Otto Addo has reacted to the absence of captain Thomas Partey for the AFCON qualifiers against Sudan
• The Arsenal star pulled out at the eleventh hour after suffering from an illness which prevented him from travelling to Ghana
• The four-time African Champions are under pressure to secure their first win of the qualifiers after a slow start

Black Stars coach Otto Addo insists his team will be up for the task against Sudan despite the absence of Arsenal star Thomas Partey.

Partey and three other players initially invited for the double-header against Sudan pulled out of the game for various reasons.

Partey, who featured in Arsenal's victory over Southampton before the international break, is reported down with an illness while Joseph Paintsil, Ibrahim Osman and Kingsley Schindler are injured.

Read also

Otto Addo Names Mohammed Kudus as Ghana Captain in the Absence of Thomas Partey

"Yeah, we're always not happy if players which we call are not there. But, to be honest, I don't use too much time to think about that. We are looking forward, so we are looking for what we can do, what we can influence," he said at the pre-match presser.

"If somebody is sick or injured or whatsoever, we are happy that our replacements came in on time, and they're here to help us. This is what we're looking at. I'm sorry for the guys. I wish them a speedy recovery, and that's it," he added.

Abu Francis named as Partey's replacement

Addo quickly handed invites to Cercle Brugge midfielder Abu Francis and three others as replacement for the injured players, as reported by My Joy Online.

Read also

Sudan unhappy with training pitch ahead of AFCON Qualifiers tie against Ghana

Michael Baidoo of IF Elfsborg, Jonas Adjetey of FC Basel and AZ Alkmaar's Ibrahim Sadiq have all reported to camp for the game against Sudan.

The Black Stars need a win to revive their chances of qualifying for the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco next year.

Kudus named Ghana captain for Sudan clash

Earlier, Yen.com.gh Black Stars coach Otto Addo has named West Ham United star Mohammed Kudus as his captain for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sudan.

The 24-year-old will lead the team in Thomas Partey's absence as the Black Stars chase their first win in the 2025 Nations Cup qualifiers.

Jordan Ayew was earlier reported to be the man to lead the team but during the pre-match presser in Accra, the coach confirmed Kudus as his captain.

Source: YEN.com.gh