Black Stars face a daunting task in their upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Angola and Niger, as the absence of several key players threatens to derail their chances.Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who has captained Ghana in recent games was denied a call-up.

At the same time, Joseph Paintsil, Antoine Semenyo, Osman Ibrahim, Alexander Djiku, and Inaki Willams have all been ruled out of the games due to injury, leaving Otto Addo with a selection headache.As Ghana navigates the challenges of key player absences, 3Sports examines the potential impact on the Black Stars' AFCON ambitions.Thomas ParteyPartey was not included in Ghana's roaster for the upcoming fixtures, leaving Ghana without one of its key players.

Serving as captain for most games this year in the absence of substantive captain Andre Ayew, who is also out of the squad due to coach Otto Addo's decision, Partey's leadership has been invaluable.

He has consistently performed well this season, missing no Premier League or Champions League games for Arsenal and contributing one goal.