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Djed Spence appears to snub Thomas Partey in awkward handshake moment, Ghana coach denies claims: ‘Did not happen’
Djed Spence shook hands with the player in front of Thomas Partey and the player after him, but then put his hand in his pocket when midfielder appeared.
Thomas Partey returned to Ghana's lineup in their second FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage fixture. Partey missed the team's first match after being denied a Canadian visa. The midfielder is awaiting trial on rape charges in Britain. On his return, he was allegedly ignored by Djed Spence during the pregame handshake ritual.
The match ended in a 0-0 draw, and Partey was booed by the England fans at the stadium whenever he touched the ball. Later videos went viral on social media, showing Spence refusing to shake Partey's hand before the game.
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The England defender shook hands with the player in front of Partey and the player after him, but then put his hand in his pocket when the former Arsenal midfielder appeared.
‘Look, this did not happen’
In response to the controversy, Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz rejected the allegations, stating that the snub didn't happen in the first place. "Look, this did not happen," he said.
"We refuse to be part of people that try to bring dust and politics inside the game. We fight to keep the four lines sacred. It’s difficult sometimes, but it happens," he further added, after the match.
Meanwhile, Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo said, "When we saw him starting the game, we are all happy."
"We are all with him to let him stay focused and help the team, because he’s our main man and we’ll always be with him."
Partey spent five seasons with Arsenal in the Premier League and was at Spanish side Villarreal last year. He has been accused by four different women of sexual assault and rape. His lawyer also revealed in March that the midfielder plans to plead not guilty to two new charges of rape after a woman alleged that he raped her twice on the same day.
He is also separately awaiting trial on five counts of rape related to two other women, and one count of sexual assault involving another woman, and the new allegations came up after the first set of charges were publicised.
