Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will miss the Black Stars’ opening World Cup fixture against Panama after a Canadian court dismissed his final appeal against a visa refusal.
The ruling means the 33-year-old will not be allowed entry into Canada for Wednesday’s Group L match in Toronto, dealing a blow to Ghana’s squad preparations.
Last week, Canadian immigration authorities refused Partey’s visa application. His legal team subsequently filed an urgent appeal to the Federal Court in Ottawa, hoping to overturn the decision in time for the tournament fixture. However, the court rejected the request on Tuesday.
In his ruling, Judge Roger Lafreniere stated that Partey was seeking “extraordinary, mandatory interlocutory relief” that would have required Canada to set aside a “lawfully rendered inadmissibility finding and facilitate his entry for a specific event”.
Ahead of the decision, Partey’s lawyer, Mackeda Bramwell, indicated that they would not pursue further legal action if the appeal was unsuccessful.
Partey, formerly of Arsenal, is currently facing allegations of rape and sexual assault in the United Kingdom. He has denied all charges.
While Canadian authorities denied his entry, officials in the United States had previously granted him a visa. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada defended its position, with a spokesperson explaining that under Canadian law, individuals may be deemed inadmissible without a foreign conviction.
“When there are reasonable grounds to believe an act that would trigger inadmissibility has been committed by an applicant, they can be deemed inadmissible to Canada,” the spokesperson said.
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has, however, insisted the team is ready to move forward without the midfielder.
“We have our plan settled,” Queiroz said before the court ruling was announced, adding that he would not be drawn into the matter surrounding Partey.
“To add more comments about issues that are nonsense is not part of my business,” he said. “My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me.”
The decision has triggered disappointment among sections of Ghana’s supporters, including members of the diaspora in Canada, who had hoped to see the midfielder feature in the high-profile opener.
