Partey in preliminary Ghana squad for World Cup

Image source, Getty Images

• Published47 minutes ago

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been named in Ghana's preliminary squad for the World Cup.

Partey has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022.

The 32-year-old, who now plays for La Liga side Villarreal, is due to stand trial next year.

Partey made 167 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal between 2020 and 2025 but left the Gunners last summer after his contract expired.

Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz has named Partey in a 28-man squad for a pre-World Cup training camp and friendly against Wales in Cardiff on 2 June.

Queiroz will have to reduce the squad to 26 players before the World Cup.

Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo and Coventry striker Brandon Thomas-Asante are also included, along with Leicester duo Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu.

Joseph Anang, who plays for League of Ireland Premier Division club St Patrick's Athletic, is one of five goalkeepers in the squad.

Tottenham winger Mohammed Kudus has missed out with the quad injury which has kept him out of action since January.

Ghana begin their World Cup Group L campaign against Panama in Toronto on 17 June before they face England and Croatia in Foxborough and Philadelphia respectively.

Ghana preliminary World Cup squad

Goalkeepers: Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak SC), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St Gallen), Joseph Anang (St Patrick's Athletic), Solomon Agbasi (Accra Hearts of Oak SC), Paul Reverson (Ajax).

Defenders: Baba Abdul Rahman (PAOK), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), Alidu Seidu (Rennes), Abdul Mumin (Rayo Vallecano), Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir), Jonas Adjetey (Wolfsburg), Kojo Oppong Peprah (Nice), Alexander Djiku (Spartak Moscow), Elisha Owusu (Auxerre).

Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo), Augustine Boakye (Saint-Etienne), Caleb Yirenkyi (Nordsjaelland), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City).

Forwards: Kamal Deen Sulemana (Atalanta), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Ernest Nuamah (Lyon), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry City), Prince Kwabena Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City).

Related topics

• FIFA World Cup
• Ghana
• Football

More on this story

• World Cup fixtures and group standings

  

• How to watch the World Cup on the BBC

  • Published10 December 2025
  

• Everything you need to know about the World Cup

  • Published1 April