Leigh Graydon
Football is the most beloved sport in Ghana. People love football. They love to watch it. They love to play it. They love to bet on it. They also love it when their national players wind up competing internationally on some of the most prominent football clubs in the world. This is why it is exciting news that Thomas Partey is a part of the world-renowned Arsenal FC club.
Getting in on the Action
Football is a great sport. It is the most popular sport in the world, and Ghanaians love it as well. They have been able to celebrate the exploits of their players across the globe, as well as place wagers on the contest.
Because Ghana has become so football crazy, several sportsbooks and websites allow residents and those visiting the country to place wagers on contests. However, finding the best place to place a wager is not always as easy as you may think. This is why many find that the best betting sites in Ghana listed in https://www.bestbettingsites.
Here you will find a trusted set of sites that make placing wagers on any event easier than ever. Not only will you find odds and information on the top football leagues in Ghana, but across Africa and the world. If there is a major soccer event going on, you can be sure you will find the action at these sites.
Arsenal favoured in Ghana
Fans across Ghana love watching their national football stars in action. Ghana produces some of the most talented young players on the pitch, and many of these have advanced to Premier leagues across the globe.
When this happens, there is a national sense of pride. Ghana is a country of just over 31 million people, but they have literally hundreds of stars playing across the globe. This includes on some of the most prominent clubs, including Arsenal FC. This is where Thomas Partey is playing, helping to make the club one of the favorites among Ghanaians.
Thomas Partey
Partey is one of 15 Ghanaian players playing in the English Premier League. He is with Arsenal FC, making 13 appearances from 2020-21. He has substituted in three games and has yet to score a goal but has made three appearances in the UEFA Europa League. He has one assist to this point.
The 27-year-old began his professional career back in 2013 when he joined Atletico Madrid of La Liga. He was sent on loan to Mallorca and Almeria for two seasons before returning to Atletico in 2015. In 2018, he helped lead the team to the championship in the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup.
In 132 appearances with the club, he recorded 12 goals. He also made 14 cup appearances, adding two goals.
In 2020, Partey was transferred to Arsenal in a deal worth €50 million. This made it so that he became the most expensive Ghanaian player of all time.
While Partey is making history, he is not the only Ghanaian well known to the Arsenal FC club. As recent as October 2020, both Omari Hutchinson and Charles Sagoe, Jr. were part of Arsenal as well. Hutchinson is only 17 and is currently with the U18 club while he builds up some professional experience. Sagoe is also with the Arsenal U18 team.
Several other Ghanaians are making their mark in the English Premier League. Manchester United has Forson Omari and Liverpool boasts Jarell Quansah as part of their roster. The Reading FC club has the most Ghanaians on it, including Emmanuel Frimpong, Quincy Owusu-Abeyie, Lynford Sackey, Malachi Talent-Aryeeteey, Yaw Turkson, and Nelson Abbey. In all, there are no less than 15 Ghanaian nationals playing in the Premier league.
Making Their Mark Across the Globe
What is amazing in a country that is so small in size is that there are an abundance of players making their mark in the finest football leagues on the planet. In England, 29 players are signed to contracts by clubs. La Liga has been the spot where the most national players have been signed. There are dozens included on rosters throughout the divisions.
Across Europe Ghanaians have found their way into professional contracts. This includes in Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Albania, Austria, Belgium, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Iceland, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Wales just to name a few.
The athletes are playing on every continent on the planet. In Africa, Ghanaians are playing in Zambia, the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, the Sudan, South Africa, Rwanda, Nigeria, Guinea, Egypt, and Ethiopia. In North America, there are Ghanaians in the United States leagues, Canada, and Mexico. Ghanaians are playing across Asia, playing in Israel, Qatar, Bangladesh, South Korea, China, Japan, and Myanmar. They are playing in Australia and New Zealand, Argentina, and Venezuela. It is stunning to see how much success this little nation has accomplished on the pitch.
Partey Setting the Standard
While he was not the first to reach the international stage, Thomas Partey has definitely set a pathway that Ghanaians will be able to follow in the future.
With such a lucrative contract, he will become the standard by which all future players will be judged. He also created a situation where Ghanaian players will receive a lot more respect, knowing that top-tier players come out of the Ghanaian leagues.
What is exciting is that as the sport becomes even more popular in the country and young players see the success of their stars, more boys and young men are going to pursue the sport with an even greater degree of fervor.
They know that they are going to be given a great opportunity to succeed on the international stage and will be seeking to become the next great player the country produces.
This level of enthusiasm will not only create an exponential growth in the sport in Ghana but is likely going to lead to this small country becoming an international powerhouse.
Currently Ghana is ranked 52ndin the world by the football governing body, FIFA, but that is likely to change in the very near future.
It would be no surprise if a generation from now that the country ranks among the best in the world, having their names bantered about in the same breath as Brazil, England, France, and Italy.
The success that Partey, Hutchinson and Sargoe have with Arsenal FC is going to help to make that dream into a reality.
They are already playing one of the most elite leagues on the planet, and now are setting the stage for a football revolution in Ghana.
This is an exciting time to be a fan. It is also a great time to feel love for the beautiful country of Ghana.
