Thomas Teye Partey has once again made headlines by not honouring his Black Stars call-up, raising widespread concerns about his commitment to the national team. Many believe that the Arsenal midfielder doesn’t give his all when playing for the Black Stars.
“He is unpatriotic. He doesn’t give his all to the national course and it’s time he is kept on the bench until he proves himself. I don’t like his level of commitment.”
“They took the leadership for him and look at his behavior. He planned it with arsenal. He is going to play Arsenal first game after this break. It is only playing for GHANA that he is sick. Ayew always sacrifice for this country, yet he has not given him the honor. We will see who has Ghana at heart.”
“I wish he never gain call up again. Ungrateful captain.”
“As soon as the international break is over he will recover.”
From day one this guy’s [Partey] commitment level has been questioned yet the committed ones were always castigated out of hatred. The guy has outlived his importance to the team and must be excused permanently for the patriotic ones. Moreover, this guy should never be allowed to get near the captaincy. His behavior is uncharacteristic of a team’s Captain,” Some Ghanaians shared their views with UniversSports.
On October 5, Partey was in fine form for Arsenal against Southampton, where they won 3-1, with Partey playing 84 minutes before the international break. Partey has been stellar for Arsenal in the early part of the season, featuring in all seven games for the Gunners.
Arsenal’s manager, Mikel Arteta, has also highlighted Partey’s importance this season, saying,
“He’s a key player for us, a massive player, and we can see that week in, week out,” during a pre-match conference for the Southampton game.”
On the morning of Monday, October 7, Arsenal announced the players who would be representing their nations during the international break, with Partey included. However, later that same evening, the Ghana Football Association (GFA) reported that Partey would miss Black Stars duty due to “medical issues.”
“Thomas is unable to join the Black Stars due to medical issues he is currently experiencing, and his club has scheduled him for further tests in the coming days,” the GFA stated.
According to GFA Communications Director, Henry Asante Twum, in an interview on Tuesday,he clarified that the medical issues involve an illness, not physical injury.
Many Ghanaians are questioning Partey’s commitment to the national team, especially considering that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta emphasized Partey’s importance to the club. Is Partey intentionally avoiding Black Stars duty to remain fit for Arsenal, as they push for a Premier League title? Or is he genuinely unfit to play for Ghana in this doubleheader?
Additionally, since Arsenal initially declared that Partey would feature for his country, did he change his mind at the last minute due to his injury history? It’s worth considering that Partey may believe the Accra Sports Stadium poses a greater injury risk, despite recent pitch improvements.
Supporting this analysis is the fact that, in March 2024, Partey requested to be excused from Coach Otto Addo’s squad for friendlies against Nigeria and Uganda, citing his need to regain full fitness after a series of injuries.
“Thomas Partey: Asked to be excused from the game to gain full fitness following recent injuries,” read a statement from the GFA.
At that time, there was little opposition to his decision since it was clear that Partey had battled injuries. However, now, with Partey having featured in every Arsenal game since the season began, questions about his loyalty and fitness have resurfaced. Could it be that Ghanaians will criticise him if he had said he wanted to stay fit for Arsenal, labelling him “unpatriotic” and claiming he’s faking an injury while featuring regularly for Arsenal? Or is he genuinely ill and unable to play for the Black Stars in this crucial tie when we need him most?
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Story by: Gabriel Tecco Mensah | univers.ug.edu.gh
