Ghana’s attempt to appeal the denial of a visa to Thomas Partey for Canada has failed. This comes after the 33-year-old Ghanaian midfielder failed to disclose he was a subject of multiple sexual assault cases and is currently standing trial in the UK.

As part of the official squad for Ghana in the Black Stars' World Cup opener against Panama, he is going to miss the fixture.

The Ghanaian government made a last-minute legal and diplomatic effort to secure permission for him to enter the country briefly to take part in the game, but that appeal was rejected by a federal court in Ottawa.

According to the court, there was “no serious issue in the underlying refusal” of the visa and “the applicant failed to disclose that he is the subject of multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK”.

The Ghanaian international's legal woes began just four days after he departed from Arsenal. He is currently facing six serious criminal charges in the UK. The charges were formally presented at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on August 5. These charges have been levelled against him by about three different women and is set to stand trial next year.

According to Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), “Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws.

“Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies,” they told the BBC in an interview.

Circumstances leading to Canada’s visa denial

IRCC officials had written to Partey to express concerns about whether his application had met the requirement to “answer truthfully” and referenced legislation covering misrepresentation, which could impact a visa.

The court also noted that under immigration rules, “having reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed is sufficient”, and a conviction is not required to find the applicant inadmissible.

Partey, who now plays for Spanish side Villarreal, has played more than 50 times for Ghana, having made his debut in June 2016.

Before the tournament, head coach Carlos Queiroz said he had no qualms over selecting Partey.

Asked about the issue again on Tuesday, he said, “My business is to play with the cards that I

have in front of me.

Police have confirmed that they have received the DNA report linked to the murder of a Ghana Immigration Service officer, Stephen King Amoah; however, they have yet to receive the full autopsy report from the Police Hospital, the service informed the Adabraka District Court on Monday, June 15.

Consequently, Chief Inspector Apeweh Achana, leading the prosecution, requested a two-week adjournment to allow his outfit some time to submit a duplicate docket to the Attorney-General’s Department.

The victim was allegedly murdered, and his body was partly burnt in a bush around Ashongman Estates in Accra in July 2025.

He therefore prayed for a two-week adjournment to enable the Police to submit a duplicate docket to the Attorney General’s office.

The court adjourned the case to June 29, 2026, and remanded the two accused persons, Bright Aweh, also known as Highest Bright, Thomas Zigah, into police custody.

The two have been jointly charged with conspiracy to commit murder and murder. Their pleas have been preserved by the court.

Background

The lifeless body of the immigration officer was discovered in a drainage system near GBC Satellite, opposite Comet Estate, Accra, on Wednesday, July 9.

The deceased is said to have gone missing five days (since July 3) before his tragic death. This was contained in a press statement by the Ghana Police Service on Thursday, July 10.

Providing more details about the tragic incident, the police noted that the murderer(s) of the 38-year-old also set his body on fire.

The police have disclosed that their preliminary investigations indicate the deceased had gone to meet his debtor, one Bright Aweh, who had promised to pay the outstanding debt owed on Thursday, July 3, in the evening.

Police investigations linked the meeting to a financial dispute between the deceased and Aweh, following a WhatsApp exchange that reportedly contained images of cash.

Aweh allegedly claimed he had given Amoah GH¢500,000 to settle a debt and return the balance, but inconsistencies in his account led to his arrest.

A search at Aweh’s residence reportedly uncovered a camouflage outfit with suspected bloodstains and a wooden pestle wrapped in polythene.

Black Stars midfielder Thomas Teye Partey has suffered a setback in his efforts to join Ghana’s squad in Canada for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a Canadian Federal Court dismissed an urgent application challenging the refusal of his visa.

In a ruling delivered on June 16, 2026, Justice Roger R. Lafrenière rejected Partey’s request for expedited court intervention following a decision by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to deny him a Temporary Resident Visa.

Partey had asked the court to either fast-track his application or direct Canadian immigration authorities to urgently reconsider the decision, arguing that he needed clearance to travel and join the Black Stars ahead of Ghana’s opening World Cup match against Panama in Toronto

However, the court ruled that it could not sidestep established immigration procedures or effectively grant a visa through an interim application.

According to the judgment, granting the relief sought by the Ghanaian midfielder would have denied the government sufficient opportunity to respond and would have bypassed important legal requirements, including the filing of complete records and the formal process for seeking judicial review.

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Partey, who applied for the visa on May 21, 2026, under a FIFA invitation to join Ghana’s World Cup delegation, was denied entry on June 10 after Canadian immigration officials determined that he was inadmissible under the country’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Authorities cited serious criminal charges currently pending against the player in the United Kingdom, noting that if proven, the alleged offences would be considered indictable crimes under Canadian law.

Court records also indicated that immigration officials had raised concerns about inconsistencies in Partey’s application and requested additional information, including police records from the UK.

The ruling further noted that Partey initially answered “no” to questions about whether he had ever been arrested or charged, but later submitted documents showing that he was facing multiple criminal charges.

His legal team argued that the visa refusal was unfair and urged the court to allow him entry on humanitarian or temporary grounds so he could fulfil his national team obligations. They also sought expedited consideration of a request for reconsideration or a temporary resident permit.

The court, however, held that immigration inadmissibility decisions must follow due process and cannot be set aside simply to accommodate short-term sporting commitments.

Justice Lafrenière also found that Partey had failed to establish a serious issue for trial, stating that immigration officers were entitled to rely on reasonable grounds when assessing admissibility, even where no conviction had been secured.

The court further concluded that Partey had not demonstrated irreparable harm, observing that the difficulties he faced arose primarily from the criminal allegations themselves rather than the visa refusal.

On the balance of convenience, the judge ruled that Canada’s interest in enforcing its immigration laws outweighed the request for exceptional treatment.

The decision leaves Partey’s participation in Ghana’s World Cup matches in Canada uncertain unless another legal or administrative avenue succeeds.

Ghana opens its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Panama today, June 17.

DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author's, and do not reflect those of The Independent