Thomas Partey was refused entry to Canada for Ghana’s World Cup opener, but will represent his country tonight in Boston against England.
Thomas Partey was booed by England fans when his name was read out (Image: Bradley Collyer/PA Wire)
Jed Spence disrespected Thomas Partey during a handshake before the England v Ghana match.
The former Arsenal midfielder was refused entry to Canada for Ghana’s Group L opener against Panama despite an appeal that ultimately led to a court hearing in Ottawa. Partey has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault between 2020 and 2022 and is scheduled to go on trial in the UK next year.
All England players except Spence shook Partey’s hand before the Group L clash in Boston.
Ahead of the contest, manager Declan Rice praised the 33-year-old’s footballing ability in England’s pre-match press conference, saying: “As you mentioned about Thomas, I played with him at Arsenal and he’s a really good player.
“I have also played against many of the Ghanaian teams and from the footage we have studied, I know what they bring, their strength, speed and counter-attacks.”
England fans booed the Villarreal midfielder as his name was read out over the PA during the team announcement. And as Partey went around shaking hands with England’s stars, Spence shook hands with his Ghana team-mates in particular, then withdrew his hand and put it in his jacket pouch as Partey approached.
Once the party had passed, he took his hand out of his pouch and resumed shaking hands with his opponent.
Jed Spence didn’t shake hands with Thomas Partey
Partey’s contract with Villarreal is set to expire this summer and is not expected to be renewed. After leaving Arsenal last summer, he made 32 appearances in La Liga last season, scoring zero goals.
The defensive midfielder was on media duty at Ghana’s Rhode Island training base at Bryant University on Monday ahead of the match against England. He described being denied a Canadian visa as “part of football.” The person who filled out the application for the party allegedly failed to disclose that he had been arrested and also charged with a crime.
Partey said of the whole ordeal, “Well, I think it’s part of football. In football, things happen that you can’t control. For me, I feel like I’m ready to play right now. It’s okay, I feel good.”
“We have been training well and everyone is ready. We are here to do our best and compete with the rest of the teams. I think preparation is the key.”
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