Thomas Partey loses his appeal after being denied entry into Canada
A hearing in Ottawa on Tuesday upheld the decision by Canadian authorities to refuse the midfielder access to the country.
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has lost his appeal after being denied entry into Canada.
A hearing in Ottawa on Tuesday upheld the decision by Canadian authorities to refuse the midfielder access to the country.
Partey had previously appeared at Southwark Crown Court in September on charges of rape and sexual assault, which he denies.
He was later charged with two additional counts of rape earlier this year and has also pleaded not guilty to those charges. Canada authorities have now maintained the travel refusal following the appeal hearing.
“Thomas Partey continues to deny all charges against him,” the 32-year-old’s defence lawyer Jenny Wiltshire said in February, with his trial due to take place in June 2027.
“He has cooperated fully with the police throughout. Given that legal proceedings are ongoing, there will be no further comment.”
Thomas Partey has been named in Ghana’s World Cup squad, with their opening match scheduled against Panama national football team on June 18 at 12am UK time.
However, the midfielder will not be able to play at BMO Field after Tuesday’s decision upheld his ban from entering Canada, effectively ruling him out of the fixture.
FIFA statement on Partey
“FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government,” a statement on Friday revealed.
“FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas.
“As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”
Both of Ghana’s other Group L fixtures against England and Croatia will take place in the United States, where the midfielder has already been granted entry.
Ghana are based at Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, for the tournament.
The Football Association are reportedly considering their position over England players’ pre-match handshake with Thomas Partey on June 23, with discussions planned on how the squad will approach the traditional pre-match ritual.
Partey previously spent five seasons at Arsenal, where he was teammates with England internationals Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
The clash against England will take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, kicking off at 9pm UK time.
Ghana’s final group match against Croatia will be played at Lincoln Financial Field on June 27 at 10pm UK time.
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