Thomas Partey is accused of being a ‘traitor’ for swapping shirts with Luis Suarez

Thomas Partey has been labelled a ‘traitor’ for swapping shirts with Luis Suarez after Ghana’s grudge match with Uruguay on Friday.

With both teams still in the running to qualify, the game had added spice following Suarez’s infamous handball on the goal-line that led to Ghana being eliminated from the 2010 World Cup.

Just like 12 years ago, it was Uruguay who emerged victorious, claiming a 2-0 win, but neither team managed to progress after South Korea scored a late winner against Portugal to move into the last-16.

Thomas Partey and Luis Suarez swapped shirts after Ghana’s grudge match with Uruguay

The pair also embraced following the Group H clash which Uruguay won 2-0

Partey has been criticised for committing ‘treason’ by exchanging jerseys with Suarez

Suarez was heartbroken at the final whistle yet managed to gather himself to swap shirts with Partey afterwards. But the Uruguayan forward remains a hated figure in Ghana for his actions in 2010, and fans have hit out at Partey for agreeing to exchange jerseys.

‘This is treason man. Why is he cool with the enemy?’ one fan wrote on Twitter.

Other supporters piled in, describing Partey as a ‘traitor’, a ‘snake’ and a ‘sellout’ for his behaviour.

Meanwhile, one fan hoped that Partey had only swapped shirts for one reason.

‘He better burn that shirt,’ they wrote.

In a game where Ghana only needed a draw to progress, Uruguay picked them apart in the first half, scoring two goals to take control of the game.

Partey was unable to stem the flow of attacks before the break, and he has been criticised for his performance by South African football coach Rhulani Mokwena. 

‘I’m disappointed in the lack of presence by Thomas Partey,’ Mokwena said, as quoted by GhanaWeb. 

‘You see Casemiro for Brazil and Busquets for Spain. The importance of a very good screen is pivotal in protecting the defensive line, and [looking at] what Thomas Partey did today, it was just too easy to face the last line of this Ghanaian side and they were extremely exposed.

‘You’d think that Thomas Partey with the quality and experience that he has playing for Arsenal would do a little more in terms of sitting in front of the defence and then protecting them a little bit more.’

Ghana finished bottom of their group, meaning their time in Qatar is now over, with Partey heading back to England to join up with Arsenal ahead of their return to action on Boxing Day.