2022 World Cup: Coach Mokwena disappointed in Partey's 'lack of presence'

Football coach Rhulani Mokwena has observed with disappointment how Thomas Partey conducted himself playing for Ghana against Uruguay.

Today, Friday, December 2, at the Al-Janoub Stadium, Qatar, Ghana was crushed, 2-0, losing to Uruguay yet again at the FIFA World Cup (WC).

Commenting as a pundit on SuperSport after the suspenseful thriller, Mamelodi Sundowns’ manager Rhulani Mokwena said: "I'm disappointed in the lack of presence by Thomas Partey."

He juxtaposed Ghana's renowned midfielder's play for his home country to that of his European football mates Carlos Henrique Casimiro and Sergio Busquets Burgos efforts for their respective countries.

"You see [how] Casemiro [plays] for Brazil and Busquets for Spain," he said.

Explaining how, in his view, Partey did not lean into the crucial match, Mokwena stressed how he appeared to make it easy for the opponents to penetrate Ghana's midfield screen.

"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," Mokwena bewailed, outlining the number 5 jersey's deciding role.

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

Ghana's defeat was a déjà vu.

Again, on a Friday, just like the first time the two teams clashed, 2010 in South Africa, Uruguay has truncated Ghana's World Cup campaign. Even more, the West Africans again misplayed a penalty against the South Americans, reliving the heart-wrenching episode from 12 years ago.

Uruguay's two unanswered goals notwithstanding, they could not qualify to the round of 16 in view of South Korea trumping Portugal 2-1 and edging them out on goals scored in Group H.

During injury time, they sought a winning goal against Ghana but to no avail, reluctantly joining Ghana to exit the tourney.