Jordan Ayew Appointed Black Stars Captain; Partey Steps Down

Black Stars forward, Jordan Ayew, is set to become the permanent captain of Ghana’s national team.

According to Joy Sports, the Leicester City striker will officially take on the captaincy starting from the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Reports say Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who served as André Ayew’s first deputy captain, has chosen not to continue in the role after Jordan Ayew was selected as captain. As a result, Alexander Djiku has been appointed as the new first deputy captain.

Partey had held the position of first deputy captain since 2019, completing six years in the team’s leadership. Jordan Ayew recently led the Black Stars during the final round of the 2025 AFCON qualifiers, replacing both Partey and André Ayew. Initially, the team had considered Mohammed Kudus for the role.

Head coach Otto Addo explained his decision, saying, “I have chosen Jordan as the new captain. I spoke to Kudus to help him understand that I want him to grow into this role and serve as the second captain alongside Djiku.”

Addo made these comments after naming Jordan as captain for the final two qualifying matches. He added, “Jordan will take over from now. He will lead and guide the team.”

Joy Sports also reports that Thomas Partey is not interested in any leadership role and wants to focus only on playing football.

The Black Stars will face Chad in March for Matchday 5 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. They aim to secure all three points as they push for their fifth appearance at the tournament.