Ghana coach Queiroz faces Partey visa drama ahead of World Cup opener
The Mt Kenya Times 
Ghana Coach Carlos Queiroz
By Norman Mwale
“My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me. We are waiting for a decision. When the decision comes, we are ready.” – Carlos Queiroz_
Ghana’s World Cup preparations have been thrown into disarray just days before their Group L opener against Panama after midfielder Thomas Partey was denied entry into Canada, forcing Coach Carlos Queiroz to redraw his midfield plans for Wednesday’s clash at Toronto Stadium.
The Canadian government refused a temporary resident visa for the 33-year-old Villarreal midfielder on the grounds of ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom, where Partey faces seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault to which he has pleaded not guilty. Court documents revealed that Partey’s initial application, filed on 21 May, answered “No” to a question on whether he had ever been charged with a criminal offence in any country. An appeal lodged in Ottawa’s Federal Court was dismissed on Tuesday by Justice Roger Lafreniere, who ruled that Partey had sought “extraordinary, mandatory interlocutory relief” to set aside a “lawfully rendered inadmissibility finding”.
FIFA confirmed the decision on Friday, stating that “player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government”. The governing body stressed that it is “not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas”, and that host governments ultimately determine entry.
The visa refusal has sparked a diplomatic row. Ghana’s Foreign Ministry issued a formal protest, describing Canada’s move as “high-handed and extremely unfair” and arguing that denying entry on the basis of unproven charges “raises fundamental questions of fairness and proportionality”. Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said diplomatic efforts were ongoing alongside the court challenge. Ghana has also requested a judicial review and a temporary arrangement to allow Partey entry solely for the World Cup fixture.
Coach Queiroz, who named Partey vice-captain for the tournament despite the charges, sought to play down the controversy at a press conference in Toronto. “No particular comments about that. It’s not necessary to make comments. The story is open; the freedom of speech is open. To add more comments about issues that are nonsense, it’s not part of my business,” he said. “My business is to play with the cards that are in front of me. We are waiting for a decision. When the decision comes, we are ready. We are ready to make the final approach to the game”. He later added: “We have our plan settled,” insisting Ghana were prepared with or without the midfielder.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada maintained that hosting the World Cup does not alter immigration rules. “Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws,” a spokesperson said, noting that “every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies”. Under Canadian law, foreign nationals can be deemed inadmissible where there are “reasonable grounds to believe an act that would trigger inadmissibility has been committed”, even without a conviction.
Partey remains with the Black Stars at their base in Boston and will be eligible for Ghana’s remaining group matches against England in Foxborough on 23 June and Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June, both staged in the United States where his visa has been granted. The midfielder has earned 58 caps for Ghana and scored 16 goals, including three during World Cup qualifying.
The controversy adds to a series of visa-related disruptions at the 2026 tournament, co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico. For Queiroz and Ghana, the focus now shifts to Panama without one of their most experienced midfielders, as the team seeks to navigate a World Cup campaign that began with paperwork, not a pass.
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