Wales Fans Boo Thomas Partey During Ghana Friendly
- Thomas Partey was booed by some Wales supporters during Ghana’s World Cup warm-up friendly in Cardiff on June 2
- Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz defended Partey’s inclusion in the squad, citing the principle of presumed innocence
- Partey is expected to feature for Ghana at the World Cup, where the Black Stars will face England in the group stage
Thomas Partey was booed by some Wales supporters during Ghana’s international friendly against the Welsh national team on Tuesday night, June 2.
Partey was handed a starting role in midfield alongside Elisha Owusu as Ghana looked to control the centre of the pitch at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Source: Getty Images
The 32-year-old endured a quiet evening and struggled to impose himself on the game, even picking up a yellow card during the contest.
Why Partey was booed by Wales fans
However, the former Arsenal midfielder was loudly jeered by some fans whenever he touched the ball in Ghana’s World Cup warm-up match.
This is because Partey is due to stand trial in the United Kingdom on sexual offence charges.
He was charged last year with five counts of alleged sexual offence charges and one count of sexual assault before being charged with two additional counts of alleged sexual offence charges in February this year.
The Villarreal midfielder has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Queiroz defends Partey’s inclusion in Ghana squad
The match against Wales came just hours after Ghana named Partey in their squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Head coach Carlos Queiroz defended the decision to include the midfielder in his squad.
According to the BBC, he responded to questions as follows:
“It’s a simple and basic answer. As far as I know, in England, in Portugal, wherever, we are living in a world where, until the court makes a decision, the presumption of innocence applies to all court cases.
“But today, and this is not only about Thomas, very unfortunately, the way social media and sometimes the media act with full and total impunity means people are condemned even before they have the opportunity to defend themselves.”
When asked whether he had any concerns about selecting Partey, Queiroz replied:
“If the player is here with me, my answer is clear. I don’t have any comments about my own decisions. He is here, so what are we talking about?
“This is not for me or you to make a judgment about. Let the events run their normal course. Let the river flow and one day when the river meets the ocean we are going to find the truth.”
Source: Getty Images
According to Transfermarkt, Partey, who made 32 appearances for Villarreal during the 2025-26 season after leaving Arsenal last year, is in line to face England at the World Cup.
Ghana will meet the Three Lions in the group stage on June 23, and the Football Association is reportedly considering how players should approach the customary pre-match handshake.
When Partey played against Tottenham Hotspur last September, it emerged that the conditions of his bail allowed him to continue playing football.
However, he was required to notify police of any international travel at least 24 hours in advance and was prohibited from contacting the complainants.
For travel to the United States, applicants must declare arrests and convictions from anywhere in the world when applying for a visa.
Ghana will be based at Bryant University near Boston during the tournament.
Nuamah headlines Ghana's World Cup debutants
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Ernest Nuamah is among the players set to debut at the FIFA World Cup after being named in Ghana’s squad for the 2026 tournament.
The Olympique Lyonnais winger is one of 14 players selected by Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz who could feature at football’s biggest stage for the first time.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
