Thomas Partey will miss Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama after his visa appeal was rejected. The Ghana midfielder had been denied entry to Canada before Wednesday's match in Toronto, and the ruling leaves him out of Ghana’s first game in the tournament. The dispute turned on immigration rules, not the schedule around the match.
Ottawa Court Rejected Appeal
A federal court in Ottawa rejected the Ghanaian government’s bid to let him enter Canada briefly for the game. The appeal ruling said there was “no serious issue in the underlying refusal” of the visa and added that “the applicant failed to disclose that he is the subject of multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK”.
The court also said that having reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed is enough to find an applicant inadmissible under immigration rules. That finding matters here because Partey was denied entry before Wednesday’s match in Toronto, even though Ghana sought a short-term entry for the opener.
Partey, Ghana and the UK Charges
Partey pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault. The charges relate to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022, and he is scheduled to stand trial next year. He now plays for Spanish side Villarreal and has represented Ghana more than 50 times since making his debut in June 2016.
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz said he had no qualms over selecting Partey before the tournament. Asked again about the issue on Tuesday, he said: “My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me.” He added: “We are waiting for a decision. When the decision [arrives], we are ready.”
Ghana's Toronto Absence
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said hosting major events does not change the country’s immigration laws. In a statement, it said: “Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada's immigration laws.” It also said: “Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies.”
US customs and border protection said Partey was admitted to the United States after being issued a visa. Ghana still moves on without him in Toronto, with England next in Boston on 23 June and Croatia following in Philadelphia on 27 June.
