Deputy captain of the Black Stars Thomas Partey has said he understands the high expectations Ghanaians have of him at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Qatar but says his aim is to first and foremost try and help his teammates and not indulge himself in self-gratification.

Partey has gone about his role in a tidy manner according to his coach Otto Addo. But for many Ghanaians, the Arsenal star is yet to truly set the tournament alight in the manner he does for Arsenal in the English League.

Reacting to criticism that he is yet to shine for the Black Stars during a press conference in Doha on Thursday, Partey said “people will expect more from you but We are playing as a team. I listen to the coach and try to make him happy. I’m trying to help the team as much as possible.”

Ghana will come face to face with Uruguay again on Friday, December 2, twelve years after the infamous handball incident that denied Ghana qualification to the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup hosted in South Africa.

The game on Friday has centred around the 2010 incident and the Black Stars will need their key players including Partey to exert themselves on the South Americans.

Black Stars coach Otoo Addo says his team will not be driven by revenge against Uruguay.

“For me, it’s a normal game and we want to win and have a good game. What happened in 2010 is very sad but we can’t change it. The 2010 incident is not a big topic for me because it’s about perspective. If it happened the other way around we would say a player would do anything to help his team. For me, it’s another game and we prepare for it like that.”

Ghana needs to win to automatically progress to the next phase of the competition at the expense of Uruguay and South Korea.





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