Black Stars vice-captain Thomas Partey will be available for the team’s 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Chad and Mali later this month after a London court adjourned his appearance on rape charges.
Ghana will face Chad on Thursday, September 4 before hosting Mali on Monday September 8. There were concerns the former Arsenal midfielder might miss the two matches that could define the country’s fate of participating in the World Cup next year.
However, Partey, 32, who was scheduled to appear at the Old Bailey on Tuesday, had the case adjourned to September 15, 2025, without explanation.
The development clears the way for him to feature for Ghana in this month’s crucial World Cup qualifers.
This will be the Partey’s first international outing since the charges became public.
Partey, who was granted permission to move to Spain to continue his career, is facing five counts of rape involving two women, as well as one charge of sexual assault against a third woman. He first appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court last month.
Prosecutors allege the incidents took place while Partey was playing in the Premier League between April 2021 and June 2022. Details shared in court include accusations of repeated assaults over several months, as well as a separate complaint of sexual assault in February 2022.
The midfielder left Arsenal when his contract expired in June this year and joined Villarreal on a free transfer.
Partey had first been interviewed by police in July 2022 after an initial complaint, before voluntarily returning for questioning in November 2024 regarding another allegation.