Djed Spence was notably the only player from the England squad who did not shake Thomas Partey’s hand prior to the World Cup match against Ghana in Boston. Speculation had existed regarding whether Partey, a former Arsenal midfielder, would receive a customary greeting from his fellow players during the pre-game formalities.
Next year, Partey is set to face trial at Southwark Crown Court after being charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, with two additional rape charges added later. He has denied all allegations, with his attorney claiming that Partey is eager to clear his name.
Although television coverage shifted away at a critical moment, available footage suggested that Spence kept his hand tucked inside the pocket of his tracksuit top as Partey walked by. This seemed to catch Partey off guard, prompting him to briefly look back at the Tottenham player before continuing on.
Previously, Partey had been unable to participate in Ghana’s opening World Cup match against Panama in Toronto due to being denied entry to Canada by immigration authorities. His appeal against this decision was dismissed by a judge.
After the game, England’s head coach, Thomas Tuchel, was prevented from addressing a question related to the incident, with a spokesperson citing “We refuse to be part of people that try to bring dust and politics inside the game,” for the restriction.
In contrast, Carlos Queiroz, the Ghanaian head coach, did provide a response. “We fight to keep the four lines sacred. It’s difficult sometimes, but it happens. So we have to congratulate everybody who leaves politics outside the four lines.” he stated. “We fight to keep the four lines sacred. It’s difficult sometimes, but it happens. So we have to congratulate everybody who leaves politics outside the four lines.”
