Ghana’s World Cup plans have taken a hit — star midfielder Thomas Partey won’t be in Toronto after a Canadian court blocked his visa over UK rape charges.

Thomas Partey won’t be lining up for Ghana in Toronto. The Black Stars midfielder, who’s currently facing trial in Britain on rape charges, lost a court challenge on Tuesday that would have cleared him to enter Canada for Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama.

Ottawa refused the Villarreal player a visa because of the British charges, meaning he can’t play on Wednesday.

Ghana’s camp didn’t take that lying down — they filed an urgent injunction at Canada’s federal court on Tuesday, asking judges to overturn the decision. But it didn’t work. According to broadcaster CBC, Judge Roger Lafreniere dismissed Ghana’s challenge.

Just before the ruling came down, veteran Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz sounded calm. “My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me,” he told reporters in Toronto. “When the decision comes, we are ready.” Panama boss Thomas Christiansen doesn’t think Partey’s absence changes much either. Even without the former Arsenal man, he reckons Ghana are still a threat. “They have a lot of other footballers who can take on his role,” Christiansen said in Spanish. He added that Ghana wouldn’t be “weaker” and pointed out the Black Stars have “a lot more experience than we have.”

Back home, Ghana’s Foreign Minister Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa blasted Canada’s move as “high-handed and extremely unfair,” calling Partey “a key member of Ghana’s senior national team.” Accra has already sent an official “note of protest” to Ottawa and asked Canada to review the decision.

Canada's foreign ministry said it “maintains regular diplomatic engagement with Ghana, including on consular and migration-related issues,” but wouldn’t comment specifically on Partey. It referred the matter to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. IRCC was clear: “Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws.” Every application, they said, is “assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies.”

Partey is facing seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault in Britain, linked to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022. He denies all the allegations.

— cbinews.tv

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