Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey
Ghana football legend, Abdul Razak has tipped Thomas Partey as the next Ghanaian who could win the prestigious African Footballer of the Year.
Partey has been Ghana's top player in Europe playing with Atletico Madrid.
The African Footballer of the Year has been awarded since 1970 and only 3 Ghanaians have won the gong since its inception, Ibrahim Sunday became the first Ghanaian to win in 1971.
Razak, a former Asante Kotoko coach who won the award in 1978, asserted that Partey is on the right path to win the award.
“One name that comes up Thomas Partey he’s trying his best, one day he may win it," he told Citi Sports.
He added that Partey’s level alone means that he should be considered by default.
“He is playing at the highest level with Atletico Madrid.
"In Spanish football after Barca and Madrid there is Atletico and he is a regular and he plays in the Champions League," he added.
Ghana’s most successful year in the history of the award was in 1993 when Abedi Pele beat Tony Yeboah by 2 votes to take home the award. Since then Sammy Kuffuor and Michael Essien have both finished runners up with Kuffour also missing out on the award by 2 votes in 1999.
Partey has been linked to Arsenal for months and with the window coming to the end we may see him in the Premier League if the Gunners can free up the fans.
