Black Stars coach Chris Hughton has shed light on the reasoning behind the half-time substitution of Thomas Partey during the friendly match against Mexico at the Bank of America Stadium.
Partey, who also captained the Black Stars during the game, had been a prominent presence in the midfield and attack but was subbed after an impressive 45 minutes as he got replaced by Abdul Salis Samed for the second half.
Hughton clarified that this decision was based on Partey's recent return from injury and the need for careful management to prevent a recurrence.
"Thomas was always going to play 45 minutes; he has been out injured for 3 to 4 weeks. He came back for his club Arsenal last midweek, where he was subbed in for one game and played only 20 minutes. So we knew he was only going to play 45 minutes."
The Black Stars experienced a 2-0 defeat against the CONCACAF champions during the first of two friendly matches. The second half witnessed PSV Eindhoven star Hirving Lozano opening the scoring in the 57th minute. Mexico extended their lead with Atuna capitalizing on a counter-attack in the 72nd minute.
While this loss marked the end of Chris Hughton's unbeaten start as Ghana's coach, the Black Stars are eager to return to winning ways in their upcoming match against the United States of America, scheduled to take place at Geodis Park in Tennessee.
