Carlos Queiroz defends presumption of innocence after Thomas Partey is booed

Black Stars coach Carlos Queiroz has defended Thomas Partey after the midfielder was booed during Ghana’s 1-1 draw against Wales, insisting that no one should be judged before a court reaches a decision.

Partey, who is facing rape allegations, played the first half of Ghana’s final friendly match before the team heads to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Caleb Yirenkyi scored Ghana’s only goal of the game.

Speaking after the match, Queiroz expressed concern about how people are treated in the modern media environment and stressed the importance of respecting the legal process.

The experienced coach also criticised what he described as a culture of impunity in both traditional and social media, arguing that people are often judged before legal proceedings are concluded.

"I’m not surprised. We live in a weird world. I’m never tired of saying it. You should be concerned with how this modern world works — where anyone can say or do whatever they want with total impunity. Nobody should be judged or condemned before a court makes a decision," he said

"The presumption of innocence must apply to everyone, starting with you, the press. But you publish things before the court. That’s your problem. You are responsible for creating this culture of impunity. I hear barbaric things said about me, about players, about coaches. But I can’t shut myself off.

"It’s the modern world. I have to accept it. But honestly, I don’t like it. I have the right to say I don’t like it. I don’t like seeing this energy of impunity on social media and in the media — that you can do and say anything you want. That is the biggest challenge of the modern world, in my humble opinion. But that doesn’t sell newspapers, and you don’t care about that. You care about what sells newspapers."

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