Black Stars defender Alexander Djiku refused to wear the captain’s armband twice during Ghana’s resounding win over Chad on Friday, March 21, 2025.
The Fenerbahce defender was first offered the armband when substantive captain Jordan Ayew was subbed off in the second half, but he declined.
Ayew then gave the armband to Thomas Partey, who offered it back to Djiku, but the latter insisted that Partey wear it. The Arsenal man subsequently spoke to the bench before putting it on.
As the game wore on, Partey was also substituted. On his way out, he attempted to hand the armband over to Djiku, who declined once again and instead passed it to Mohammed Kudus, who wore it for the rest of the match.
According to the new captaincy structure, Jordan Ayew is the main skipper, with Djiku serving as deputy.
However, the incident has raised concerns about whether Djiku has accepted the role, especially after Partey—who previously served as deputy to Andre Ayew—refused to take on the deputy role in the new structure.
Despite the tense captaincy situation, the team got the job done, beating Chad 5-0 to go top of the table. The emphatic win also ended their six-game winless run.
Watch Alexander Djiku reject the captaincy during Ghana’s game against Chad via the video below
EE/KA
