Will Thomas Partey’s absence affect Ghana’s AFCON trophy quest?

Thomas Partey is undeniably one of the best midfielders Ghana has ever produced, and his quality on the ball is unquestionable.

As Ghana embarks on another journey to end the 41-year African Cup of Nations (AFCON) drought, the unavailability of the Arsenal midfielder has even made the task more difficult.

The sensational midfielder has been ruled out of the 2023 AFCON due to a thigh injury, which has made him miss over 11 Premier League matches for Arsenal, this season.

Partey made his AFCON debut in 2017 and played an integral role in Ghana’s qualification to the semi-finals, where they were axed by eventual winners Cameroon.

Since his debut, Partey has played a total of 13 matches at the AFCON, having also featured at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Despite some memorable outings for the Black Stars in recent times, Partey has often faced criticism over his performances for the national team.

Well, his absence offers an opportunity for his immediate replacement, Majeed Ashimeru, who has already demonstrated his capabilities in stepping into Partey’s big role in the team.

Ghana coach Chris Hughton, during the squad announcement last Monday, asserted that Partey’s absence would not be detrimental for his squad considering other good replacements.

“Thomas Partey, for sure, and I say this not in a detrimental way to the squad that we have, but he is one of our most important players.

“This we know, and, withstanding his injury, he certainly would be in the squad. We know the quality of player that he is,” said Chris Hughton.

Now, the big question remains whether Chris Hughton would have the confidence to field Ashimeru or possibly Kotoko’s Richmond Lamptey in Partey’s position.

Chris Hughton’s tactics in recent matches have been suspect, with some fans even calling for his exit, but the Ghana FA seems to have kept faith in him.

Well, Monday’s friendly against Namibia could demonstrate how Chris Hughton plans to deal with the absence of Partey ahead of their first AFCON game against Cape Verde next Sunday.

Winning the AFCON is certainly not based on the prowess of one player, but Thomas Partey’s absence could make Ghana a less-feared team among its cohorts, who are coming into the 2023 AFCON with some big names and squad depth.