Handshake snub, relentless boos in surprise England result
Updated . First published at
There were no goals but plenty of controversy as England and Ghana played out a spicy 0-0 World Cup draw at Boston Stadium on Wednesday (AEST).
England and Ghana now have four points apiece and the former still leads Group L on goal difference despite the surprise result.
Harry Kane of England shakes hands with Thomas Partey of Ghana prior to the match. Getty
Before kick-off, England defender Djed Spence appeared to refuse shaking hands with Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey.
Partey is facing rape allegations in England and was not allowed to enter Canada for Ghana’s opening game against Panama in Toronto.
The 33-year-old former Arsenal player denies the charges from four different women which are alleged to have taken place in London between 2020 and 2022.
England captain Harry Kane and other players shook Partey’s hand and the broadcast pictures did not make it clear whether any of Spence’s teammates joined him in the snub.
England fans booed Partey loudly every time he touched the ball.
Ghana had a second-half penalty shot waved away after England defender Ezri Konsa brought down substitute Prince Kwabena Adu in the box.
Speaking on SBS, former Ghana international Kevin-Prince Boateng did not think the challenge warranted a penalty.
Kane - who scored two goals in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia - missed a late chance that he would usually bury.
England's Harry Kane reacts after missing a shot on goal. AP Photo/Petr David Josek
Kane described it as “one of those games”.
“Difficult team to break down,” he told the BBC.
“We were probably at our best in the last 15 minutes of each half. I had a big chance at the end – I’m backing myself to score that more often than not – and Nico (O’Reilly) hit the bar. I’ve been a striker long enough to know you miss some.
“We wanted to win but we take the point and we’re still in a great position in the group.”
Ghana set up defensively and were able to frustrate England’s high-octane attack.
“I was man-marked by Partey for a lot of the game so I didn’t have the space to drop deep and then get in the box,” Kane said.
Ghana's Thomas Partey trips up England's Harry Kane. AP Photo/Steven Senne
“They also defended the box well, and balls through the middle were tough to play because they were so compact. You go through games like that.
“I spoke before about chunking it up into two separate tournaments – the group stage and then the knockouts. Hopefully we can win the group, and then comes the second tournament.”
Socceroos great Harry Kewell had picked England to win the World Cup and was disappointed with what he watched on SBS.
“Just frustrating when you watch such a great team, don’t start with what we saw against Croatia,” Kewell said.
“And when they play like that, everyone’s excited about this team. When you come across great stars, you want to see them express themselves.”
England are ranked fourth in the world while Ghana are 64th.
“If before the game someone would have said, ‘You take a point against England’, we would have all signed the contract and definitely taken the point,” Boateng said on SBS.
“We’re through and we can now focus on the round-of-32.”
Ghana's Thomas Partey has been blocked from entering Canada. Getty
The BBC’s Gabby Logan addressed the handshake snub at halftime.
“One news line. The cameras cut away before the handshakes but it’s being reported Djed Spence did not shake hands with Thomas Partey pre-match,” Logan said.
“Partey was refused a visa for the opening game in Canada of course.
“He’s been charged with seven counts of rape and one of sexual assault. He’s denied the charges and is scheduled to go on trial next year.”
