By Nana Karikari
Senior Global Affairs Correspondent
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been selected for Ghana’s 28-man preliminary World Cup squad despite facing serious legal battles in the United Kingdom. Head coach Carlos Queiroz included the 32-year-old Villarreal midfielder as the Black Stars began their pre-tournament training camp at Dragon Park in Wales. Queiroz faces a looming deadline to refine his selection, as the veteran coach must reduce the current list to a final 26-player roster before the World Cup tournament begins in North America.
Partey Retains Role Ahead of Trial
Partey carries a significant legal burden back to the international stage while continuing to anchor the national team. The midfielder 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 player currently features for La Liga side Villarreal, where he moved following five seasons with Arsenal. Between 2020 and 2025, he made 167 appearances in all competitions for the English club before his contract expired last summer. He was initially charged last July, just days after leaving the Gunners, and Villarreal signed him in August, two days after he was granted bail. Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the midfielder played a full part in World Cup qualifying games for Ghana, for whom he has made 58 appearances.
Trial Delayed to 2027
The legal timeline against the midfielder intensified following recent proceedings at Southwark Crown Court. On April 13, 2026, Partey appeared in person to formally plead not guilty to two new allegations of rape stemming from a fourth woman. Judge Tony Baumgartner ruled that all eight counts will be heard together in a single trial.
On May 14, 2026, Mr. Justice Bennathan officially pushed back the trial date due to the newly consolidated charges and severe backlogs in the British court system. Originally scheduled for November 2026, the trial is now set to begin on June 8, 2027, and is expected to last up to eight weeks. Partey remains on bail under the strict condition that he has no contact with any of the alleged victims, leaving him legally clear to travel to North America for tournament play.
Kudus Ruled Out by Injury
The Black Stars will compete without one of their most dangerous attacking talents. Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohammed Kudus will miss next month’s World Cup due to injury. The 25-year-old forward has scored 13 times in 46 international appearances.
Kudus joined Tottenham from West Ham United last summer and made 19 Premier League appearances for Spurs this season, scoring twice. He suffered a quad injury in January and was expected to return in March. However, he suffered a setback in his recovery and has not played a game since Thomas Frank was coaching Tottenham. The lingering injury officially rules him out of the tournament.
Recalls and New Additions
To balance the loss of Kudus, Queiroz will rely on a mix of high-profile attacking players and defensive returnees. The forward line features Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo, Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams, and Coventry City striker Brandon Thomas-Asante. Leicester City duo Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku are also included.
The defensive unit welcomes back defender Baba Abdul Rahman for the first time since 2023. The former Chelsea defender earned his recall after a strong season with PAOK FC in Greece, where he made 35 appearances, scoring three goals and adding three assists.
The squad also marks the return of Ernest Nuamah of Olympique Lyonnais. The move is seen as a key step in his comeback path after being sidelined for nearly a year by an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Other comebacks to the national setup include Abdul Mumin of Rayo Vallecano, Augustine Boakye of AS Saint-Étienne, and Alidu Seidu of Stade Rennais FC.
World Cup Preparation and Groups
Ghana will face Wales on Tuesday, June 2, in Cardiff, in what serves as a crucial evaluation tool for the coaching staff. It represents one of the final tune-up matches before the team travels across the Atlantic. The match is expected to be crucial for final-tweaking of the roster before World Cup selection.
Ghana has been drawn into Group L for the tournament. The Black Stars begin their World Cup campaign against Panama in Toronto on June 17. They will then travel to the United States to face England in Foxborough, near Boston, and Croatia in Philadelphia.
Neither Villarreal nor the Ghana Football Association have issued further comments regarding Partey’s upcoming trial, maintaining that the legal process in the United Kingdom must take its course while the player remains eligible for international selection under bail conditions.
Preliminary Squad Overview
To ensure the squad is fully prepared for future challenges and deep tournament runs, Carlos Queiroz has selected a robust group of five goalkeepers. This selection balances established local talent with young international prospects brought in for assessment.
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 Basakeshiri), Jonas Adjetey (Wolfsburg), Kojo Peprah Oppong (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), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City).
