Ghana loses appeal over Partey visa refusal ahead of World Cup opener

Appeal dismissed

A federal court in Ottawa dismissed Partey's challenge on Tuesday, a day before Ghana's first Group L match. The midfielder had sought a temporary order to overturn the Canadian government's visa refusal, which was issued last week.

“Partey sought "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."”

Partey's lawyer Mackeda Bramwell told Reuters before the ruling that the team would not pursue further appeals if the judge ruled against them.

The charges against Partey

The 33-year-old faces multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault in the United Kingdom, with charges spanning several years. He has pleaded not guilty. In March, his lawyer said Partey would deny two new counts of rape from a single day in December 2020, adding to five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault already pending.

An Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada spokesperson said that under Canadian law a foreign conviction is not required to bar entry.

“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 United States has granted Partey a visa, making him eligible for the remaining group matches on American soil, against England on June 23 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.

Coach and fan reaction

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz, who had previously cited a presumption of innocence when naming Partey to the squad, said the team is prepared to play without him.

“We have our plan settled. To add more comments about issues that are nonsense is not part of my business. My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me.”

In Canada's Ghanaian diaspora, the visa decision drew frustration. Akua Mensah, a 45-year-old Canadian of Ghanaian heritage, called the government's move unfortunate.