Ghana Challenges Canada Over Thomas Partey Visa Denial

Ghana’s preparations for the World Cup have been dragged from the training pitch into a courtroom in Ottawa, as the government challenges Canada’s decision to deny Thomas Partey a visa.

The 33-year-old midfielder has been ruled out of Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday after being refused entry to the country. Instead of lining up in midfield, Partey’s fate will be argued before a judge at 14:00 BST (09:00 eastern time).

At the heart of the dispute lie ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK. Partey has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations by four women between 2020 and 2022, and is due to stand trial next year. Those charges have cast a long shadow over his international commitments, and now they have triggered a diplomatic and legal confrontation.

Ghana’s government has filed for a review of Canada’s refusal, describing the decision as “high-handed and extremely unfair”. The filing asks the court to grant permission for Partey to enter Canada briefly so he can take part in the match, a narrow window carved out of a much larger legal storm.

The request does not stop there. Ghana is also seeking an order compelling Canadian immigration authorities to allow the former Arsenal midfielder to submit a fresh visa application, an attempt to reopen a door that has been firmly shut.

On the political front, Ghana’s foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has made it clear the country is not relying solely on the courts. He has confirmed that Accra is exploring diplomatic channels in parallel, trying to secure a solution that would at least restore Partey’s availability for national duty, if only for a matter of days.

For now, though, Ghana must plan for Panama without one of its most experienced players, while lawyers and officials debate his status thousands of miles from the dressing room. How long the proceedings in Ottawa will take is unknown, and with the World Cup clock already ticking, Ghana waits to discover whether the legal battle will end in time to change anything on the pitch.