Ghana has dropped Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey from its squad for the pivotal Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Angola and Niger. The Black Stars face a must-win situation, with their survival in the competition hanging in the balance. Coach Otto Addo declined to reveal the reasons for excluding the 31-year-old, who has made 49 international appearances and scored 13 goals for his country.

“My reasons are confidential. I hope he will rejoin us for the next international window in March (World Cup qualifying),” Addo shared with the press, leaving fans and pundits speculating about the decision.

ALSO READ: AFCON Qualifiers: Ghana and Algeria Among Teams Set for Pivotal Clashes on Matchday Three

Ghana’s hopes of qualifying for the 2025 AFCON tournament in Morocco are on the line, as they currently sit in third place in Group F with just two points from four matches. They must defeat Angola away on Friday and Niger at home three days later to have any chance of advancing to the finals. Their qualification also depends on the outcome of Sudan’s matches against Angola and Niger, with the North African team only needing a single point to secure their place in the tournament.

In a further shake-up of the squad, Leicester City forward Jordan Ayew has replaced West Ham United’s Mohamed Kudus as the team’s captain. Kudus led Ghana through a difficult campaign in September, where the team managed only one point from matches against Sudan, putting them at risk of missing the finals for the first time since 2004.

As Ghana fights to stay alive in the race for Morocco, other African football giants also face crucial qualifying matches this week.