Black Stars head coach Otto Addo has stated that he made the call to drop deputy skipper Thomas Partey from the latest Black Stars squad for reasons which are not injury-related.

The manager kept a tight lip on the reasons for dropping the Arsenal midfielder, claiming he had a 'confidential' meeting with the player on the decision.

"I had a confidential talk with Thomas. I'm a coach who likes to protect the players. So for me, I'm not coming out with internal issues. He wanted to come but I made it quite clear to him why he is not coming. It is confidential so it's difficult for me to mention all the things," Otto Addo told the media during the squad unveiling.

Thomas Partey has now missed the Black Stars squad for the second time in a row after pulling out of the previous squad on account of being unwell.

According to Ghana Football Association spokesperson Henry Asante Twum, the technical team invited the player for further assessment, but he declined.

The deputy skipper is one game away from reaching half a century of games for the Black Stars but will have to wait until 2025 to reach the feat after missing the last international break of 2024.

Ghana will face Angola on November 15 in Luanda before hosting Niger on November 18 to close the qualifying series.

Watch Otto Addo's comment on dropping Thomas Partey via the video below:



EE/EK