Ghana’s preparations for their opening FIFA World Cup match against Panama have suffered a major setback following a Canadian court’s dismissal of Thomas Partey’s appeal against a visa denial.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday afternoon, means the Black Stars midfielder remains ineligible to enter Canada despite extensive diplomatic efforts by the Government of Ghana to secure his participation in the tournament.
Partey was deemed inadmissible by Canadian authorities due to pending criminal charges in the United Kingdom. The player has denied all allegations and has not been convicted of any offence.
The situation prompted Ghana’s diplomatic authorities to deploy all necessary diplomatic and legal efforts to overturn the decision.
However, after several hours of a court hearing presided over by Justice Lafrenière at the Ottawa court, the applicant’s appeal was ultimately dismissed.
With the appeal unsuccessful, Partey will miss Ghana’s opening fixture against Panama and is expected to remain at the team’s training base in the United States.
Meanwhile, authorities including the Black Star technical team, the coach, Minister of Sports and the Foreign Affairs Minisitry are yet to officially commence on the matter
More details soon….
