Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey
George Afriyie, a former vice president of the Ghana Football Association has outlined the factors that could be blamed for Thomas Partey’s inability to replicate his rich club form at the international level.
There exists a wide gap in Partey’s output when he is playing for Arsenal and when he is in the colors of Ghana.
The 29-year-old was scapegoated and slammed for Ghana’s early exit at the 2022 World Cup as many believe his performance in the tournament underwhelming.
George Afriyie told 3FM told 3FM that Partey could be suffering the same problem as Michael Essien did at a certain stage in his career.
He explained that the positioning of Partey in Ghana’s starting team could a factor as the country is yet to find an established position for him.
“It’s a combination of factors. compare him to Michael Essien. What we saw him in the Chelsea jersey cannot be compared to what we saw in the Black Stars. Essien delivered when it mattered most. I remember we played Congo in Brazzaville and Partey was pushed up front in more of a No.8 or No.10 position and he scored 3 goals,” he stated.
“Against Nigeria in Abuja, he also scored a very important goal that qualified Ghana for the World Cup. So where it matters most, he delivers,” he said.
“It depends on how a coach wants to parade his players. It depends on the set of players he brings around him. It would be very difficult to compare Partey in Arsenal to Partey in Ghana because you need to consider the materials around him at Arsenal and compare that to Ghana. So for me, it is the way we position him and the roles we assign him. Partey has always had the desire and shown commitment that he wants to play for Ghana,” he added.
Partey is likely to be in the starting team when the Black Stars host Angola at the Baba Yara Stadium on March 23. The Arsenal man could be in action again when Ghana traveled to Angola, four days later.
In 43 appearances for Ghana, Thomas Partey has scored 13 goals including the one that sealed qualification for the 2022 World Cup.
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