'Seven counts of sexual assault allegations' controversy surrounds the superstar who has been called up for the World Cup, the 'star midfielder who made Korea cry'... Included in the 28th-person roster

*This content was translated by AI.

Thomas Partey (34, Villarreal), who is facing a total of seven counts of rape and sexual assault from four women and is engaged in a legal battle, has unexpectedly been included in Ghana's preliminary roster for the North American World Cup.

British media outlet 'BBC' reported on the 27th (Korea time) that "former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been included in Ghana's preliminary World Cup training roster."

Partey, who made the 28th-person pre-tournament training camp roster announced by Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz, will prepare for a friendly match against Wales in Cardiff on June 2. Coach Queiroz must ultimately reduce this roster to 26 players before the tournament begins.

Partey, a key midfielder who has played 58 A-international matches for Ghana, is currently embroiled in the worst sexual assault scandal of his career and continues to face a steep decline. According to British outlets such as 'The Daily Mail', Partey is facing seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four different women between 2020 and 2022. He is currently playing in Spain on conditional bail. Having appeared at Southwark Crown Court, Partey is preparing for a full trial next year and has steadfastly pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him.

Partey joined Arsenal in 2020 from Atletico Madrid for a transfer fee of 45 million pounds (approximately 78 billion won) and made 167 career appearances over five seasons. However, after his contract expired last summer, he left Arsenal and moved to Villarreal in Spain's La Liga.

While he continues his playing career, local public opinion remains cold. Under the terms of his conditional bail, he must notify the police 24 hours in advance before traveling abroad and must not contact the victims. Nevertheless, during La Liga matches, Partey is met with jeers every time he touches the ball, and even a petition by Villarreal fans opposing his signing has emerged. However, Villarreal coach Marcelino has continued to field Partey, stating, "We will focus solely on football until a verdict is reached," and despite international criticism, Ghana's national team also intends to take him to the World Cup stage.

He is also a player very familiar to Korean fans. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, Partey was a key midfielder for Ghana and led his team to a 3-2 victory over South Korea in the group stage's second match.

Meanwhile, Ghana's current preliminary roster includes a large number of attackers such as Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Brandon Thomas-Aseante (Coventry), Jordan Ayew, and Abdul Fatawu (both Leicester City). On the other hand, Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus, who has been recovering from a hamstring injury since January, ultimately failed to make the World Cup roster, suffering the pain of being left out.

After many twists and turns, Ghana, now targeting the World Cup while facing legal risks, has been placed in Group L of the tournament's group stage. They will face Panama in their opening match in Toronto, followed by England and Croatia in sequence.

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*This content was translated by AI.