Football Today
·6 September 2024
Football Today
·6 September 2024
Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey and his international teammates had to race for safety after Ghana fans went on the rampage following their loss to Angola on Thursday, according to Ghana Soccer Net.
The Gunners star and others had to take refuge in the dressing room after the Black Stars conceded a last-minute goal to Angola at the Baba Yara Stadium in their first game of qualifications for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Partey played the whole 90 minutes, putting in an excellent performance for Ghana, but it was not enough as a 93rd-minute winner from the visitors left the home fans enraged.
The Arsenal star played the most passes into the final third (14), created the most chances (four), played the most accurate passes (59) and won 100% of his tackles.
He also had 79 touches, had 89% passing accuracy, made four recoveries, won three ground duels and completed two dribbles. Ghana are bottom of Group F as a result of the defeat, with Angola, Sudan and Niger ahead of them.
The home fans hurled plastic bottles and other objects onto the pitch at full-time, damaging nearly all the pitch panels at the stadium, kicking anything in sight and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) are expected to fine the Black Stars as they have a history of similar incidents.
They were fined $15,000 (£11,350) earlier this year after their supporters breached security protocol in the Africa Cup of Nations group game between Ghana and Cape Verde.
A pitch invasion in 2019 during a qualifier against South Africa in Cape Coast led to a $10,000 (£7,600) fine, and the Ghana Football Association are readying themselves for another sanction.
Luckily for Partey, he escaped unhurt and will return to action when they face Niger in Morocco on September 9 for their second game of the group.
Arsenal return to Premier League action after the break when they play Tottenham Hotspur on September 15, and the Ghana captain will be looking forward to impressing in the North London derby.