Thomas Partey will miss Ghana's World Cup match against Panama in the early hours of Thursday after Canadian authorities rejected an appeal to grant him entry. The 33-year-old midfielder was blocked from entering Canada due to ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom. The Ghanaian government had requested special permission for Partey to travel to Toronto for the game, but a federal court in Ottawa dismissed the appeal on Tuesday. The judge stated there was "no serious issue in the underlying refusal" because Partey did not disclose in his visa application that he faces multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK.
Partey is accused of seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four women between 2020 and 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is scheduled to stand trial next year. The case is being handled in the UK, where legal proceedings remain active. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada emphasized that hosting major international events does not alter the country's standard immigration protocols. No exceptions were made for Partey despite the high-profile nature of the match.
Thomas Partey faces trial in the UK on serious criminal charges while still being fielded by Ghana's national team, raising questions about selection standards. His disqualification from entering Canada was based on a failure to disclose active legal cases, not the allegations themselves. That Ghana pursued entry permission despite the unresolved charges places the team's image in a delicate position. The decision to include him in the squad, given the public nature of the case, rests as a choice without clear justification.
Editorial note: AI-assisted opinion, not established fact. Full disclaimer →
