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Appiah: Thomas Partey ideal for Arsenal
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Kwesi Appiah says that his Ghana team-mate Thomas Partey has all the attributes on and off the field to be a big success at Arsenal.
The 27-year-old joined the Premier League side on Monday from Spanish side Atletico Madrid for his buyout clause of £45m.
Appiah, who most recently played for AFC Wimbledon, has played with Partey as part of Ghana squads in recent years and is confident that he is a good fit for Arsenal.
“Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal is playing a lot of ball possession and playing out from the back and that will really suit his style because he is very comfortable on the ball,” Appiah told BBC Sport.
“Obviously, Spain has a very technical league as well so there is a lot of ball possession and passes being made; so it will suit him very well.
“The top teams in England play that way as well so you are looking at a player who is going to fit in quite easily.
“You look at Manchester United and the way Bruno Fernandes and the way he has taken the Premier League on so I see it as being a similar transition for Thomas.
“He has got that quality and style of play that Arsenal is looking to play so it will be a perfect match.”
Appiah, who played for Ghana as they finished runners-up to Ivory Coast at the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, also has no doubts he will fit in to the Arsenal dressing room as well.
“He is a very nice guy, down-to-earth and he is a confident guy; he speaks well and he will get on well with the players,” Appiah added.
“There are some personalities at Arsenal that will match his energy and playfulness as well so I am sure he will fit in very well in the dressing room and be one of the leaders amongst the players as well.”
Partey’s journey to Arsenal has seen him work his way up from village football in Ghana to winning European titles and now to the Premier League.
His most successful year so far was 2018, when he won the Europa League and European Super Cup with his former club Atletico Madrid.
Since then he has been a regular starter for Atletico; making more than 40 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish side in both of the last two seasons and was part of the Ghana squad at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.
Those feats in 2018 earned him a nomination for the BBC’s African Footballer of the Year and this is what he had to say at the time about his journey from dusty village pitches in Ghana to European football’s top table.
“It’s not easy for a guy like me to come from a background where I had nothing to be at this level,” says the 25-year-old.
“I started in a small village where my father was the Team Manager. He did a lot of sacrifices which he never told me about.
“It was him selling his stuff to try and get me those new boots.”
The first place he made an impact was at local side in Krobo Odumase in Eastern Ghana.
“He was a good boy, very respectful and would rise up to every challenge,” says Ibrahim Issaka, one of his first coaches. “I knew Partey would become a star because he can play anywhere.”
Partey comes from a long production line of Ghanaian defensive midfielders, where the likes of Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari and Michael Essien made their name at the top of European football.
“I tried to be like a ‘stopper’ using the intelligence of Michael Essien, and also attack. I use the strength of Yaya Toure,” he says.
It was Partey’s natural ability that helped him get spotted by Atletico scouts.
He left Africa to join the Spanish side in 2011 – in a secrete journey that even his parents did not know about.
“I got into a car, they took me to the capital, and they gave me my passport and said: ‘Today you travelling,’” he told Marca earlier this year.
“My dad wasn’t at home. Nobody from my family knew anything, or where I was going that day – because if they were told then it would cause a lot of problems. I travelled to Spain and it was six or seven months before anyone realised that I wasn’t in Ghana.”
His first coach in Spain was former Atletico Madrid midfielder Alfredo Santaelena.
“As soon as we [the coaches] all saw him, we all agreed that he would be a player of the future,” says Alfredo. “He is a player with an innate talent.”
After loan spells at Mallorca and Almeria, Partey made his Atletico debut in 2015 and improved under manager Diego Simeone’s guidance.
“We all know he’s a great coach, one of the best coaches on the planet. He helped me to adapt to any position he put me in,” says Partey.
He will now be trying to impress Arteta and the Arsenal fans with what he has learnt from Simeone and his determination to continue improving.
Just a few years ago, Zinabu Issah’s life revolved around her small trading business, and competing in sports was not on her mind.
Today, the Ghanaian para-athlete stands proudly as a Commonwealth Games silver medalist, proving that determination, hard work and perseverance can transform lives in unimaginable ways.
Issah, who competes in the shot put, javelin and discus events, recalls how her journey began unexpectedly when Coach Emmanuel Sowah Anum approached her and encouraged her to try para-sports.
“I had no intention of doing any sport. I was a petty trader and one day my coach approached me and told me to take up the sport. When he first said it, I laughed because sports was not my thing.
“But he was persistent and eventually convinced me to take up the sport,” she told GNA Sports in an interview.
According to Zinabu, her decision was met with resistance from some family members and friends who questioned why a woman living with a disability would pursue field events.
She faced a lot of stereotypes and criticism, which could easily have discouraged her, but she decided to stay focused on achieving success.
“He (Coach) told me he had seen something in me and believed I could excel in the sport,” she said while expressing gratitude to her coach.
“I want to thank God first of all and also thank my coach for believing in me,” she added.
Her coach, Emmanuel Sowah in an interview, revealed that he spotted Zinabu in Kumasi in 2014 and admitted that life was very difficult for her at the time.
“I saw something in her. I knew I could make her a better field athlete despite her disability, and I personally bought her first training kit. Over the past years, she has developed impressively,” he said.
Coach Sowah said he believes Zinabu can achieve even more and hopes she can step up at the next Paralympic Games, which he is confident she will qualify for.
The road from being a trader to competing in shot put, discus and javelin has been remarkable.
Zinabu has featured in numerous international tournaments, most notably winning gold at the 2024 Paralympic Games Qualifiers Grand Prix in Marrakech, Morocco.
The success earned her recognition, including an award at the 9th Women in Sports Association (WISA) Awards, a moment she says significantly boosted her confidence and motivation.
Her latest achievement came at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where she delivered a season-best throw of 8.65 metres to secure silver in the women’s F57 shot put.
That was Ghana’s first medal of the Games and, according to Zinabu, the victory has changed perceptions within her family.
“Ever since my winning moment at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, my family have praised my exploits, and I am excited about that.
“My junior sister, who in the past told me to stop and promised to give me money to start a new business, is today excited about my achievement,” she said.
With her sights now firmly set on the 2028 Paralympic Games, Zinabu is determined to continue breaking barriers.
“I am preparing for the Paralympics, and I am optimistic of qualification. My target is to go for the gold medal,” she said.
For Zinabu, the journey from being a petty trader to a Commonwealth Games medalist is more than a personal triumph is a story of resilience, belief and the power of giving opportunity a chance. –GNA
The Angel Starlight Foundation (ASF) last Friday presented assorted food items to learners and management of the Street Academy, a sports and cultural organisation in Accra.
Mrs Angel Addo, Founder of the NGO made the donation as part of her birthday celebration.
She presented bags of rice, beans, maize, gallons of cooking oil, biscuits, drinks, soap and toilet rolls.
“This is a yearly ritual for me; choosing to celebrate my birthday with children of the Academy. They are very dear to my heart,” she told the Spectator.
She said “these are underprivileged children who through no fault of theirs find themselves on the streets but have been fortunate to be picked by the Academy and are receiving care.”
He urged government and corporate Ghana to also support the Academy in order to support such children who are offered formal education and trained in skilled programmes.
Receiving the items, Dr Ataa Lartey, Founder of the Academy thanked the Foundation for the gesture which he said would go a long way to ease the burden of the Academy.
In another development, the Academy will host its annual health walk today.
The event would attract children from the Academy and those from neighbouring communities and keep fit enthusiasts.
By Spectator Reporter
