Thomas Partey will miss Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama, leaving the ghana squad without one of its most experienced midfielders in Toronto. A federal court in Ottawa rejected the appeal that sought to let him enter Canada briefly for Wednesday's match.
The ruling said there was "no serious issue in the underlying refusal" and that "the applicant failed to disclose that he is the subject of multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK". Ghana still opens its tournament without a player who has more than 50 caps and played at the 2022 World Cup.
Ottawa Ruling on Partey
Partey, 33, was denied entry to Canada before Wednesday's match in Toronto. The Ghanaian government asked for permission for him to enter briefly to take part in the game, but the court in Ottawa turned that aside.
The decision rests on immigration law, not the tournament stage. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada's immigration laws, and that every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually based on the facts available and the law that applies.
Ghana Without a Veteran
Partey pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault. The allegations involve four different women between 2020 and 2022, and he is scheduled to stand trial next year.
He made his Ghana debut in June 2016 and has played for the national team more than 50 times. Carlos Queiroz had said before the tournament, "My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me."
Panama, England, Croatia
Ghana's opening match against Panama now goes ahead without him in Toronto. The rest of the group schedule still includes England in Boston on 23 June and Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June, giving Ghana a short window to reset after losing a regular starter at the start of the tournament.
