Carlos Queiroz don defend im decision to include Thomas Partey for Ghana squad wey go face Wales for Tuesday final warmup match before World Cup.
Partey, wey be former Arsenal midfielder and now dey play for Villarreal for Spain, don face charges of seven counts rape and one sexual assault for London between 2020 and 2022. The player deny all charges and dem set trial for November this year, though e fit delay until 2027.
Ghana coach Queiroz include Partey for provisional 28-man World Cup squad, wey e trim to 26 players later on Monday. The 32-year-old fit play for United Kingdom for first time since im court appearance last September, for Cardiff.
“E be simple and basic answer,” Queiroz wey be 73 years tok about im decision to name Partey for Wales friendly. “As far as I know, for England, Portugal, whatever, we dey live for this world, until court make decision, the presumption of innocence dey on side of all court cases.
“But today and this no be only about Thomas, very unfortunately the way social media and media sometimes act with full and total impunity, we dey condemned even before we get opportunity to defend.”
Ghana wey get Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo, Coventry striker Brandon Thomas-Asante and Leicester attacker Jordan Ayew for their ranks, dey same World Cup group as England.
For match wey go mark 150th anniversary of Football of Wales and also be first time Dragons meet African opposition for home, Ghana more than willing to meet British opposition before take on Thomas Tuchel side for Boston on June 23.
“E be honour for us to dey here and play against national team of Wales,” Queiroz wey be Sir Alex Ferguson former assistant for Manchester United and coach Iran for last World Cup tok. E go dey charge of Ghana for first time after dem appoint am for April.
“For us, e important because e be part of our World Cup preparation. Everything don go according to our goals and we dey ready for takeoff and go to World Cup.
“I know from my experience that when we play great football, we get great chance to win. So this be what we want to try do against Wales and we want to express ourselves for this game.”
Along with their match against England, Ghana open Group L play against Panama for June 17 for Toronto and go face Croatia.
Full Ghana 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: Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Ernest Nuamah (Lyon), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry City), Prince Kwabena Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Iñaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City).
