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Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey has been refused entry to Canada for next Wednesday’s World Cup match between Ghana and Panama. The 33-year-old currently faces six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in the UK.
Revelations about the affair made headlines last summer after Partey’s contract with Arsenal expired and he appeared in court shortly after arriving in Spain, where he denied all charges. Further charges of rape and sexual assault were added to his ongoing case this year, and he is now scheduled to go on trial in London next year.
The party denied entry to Canada for the World Cup.
Partey has been refused entry to Canada, The Athletic reports, and Ghana is scheduled to play Panama in Toronto in the Black Stars’ first game of the tournament at midnight UK time on Wednesday. A Ghanaian spokesperson confirmed that Partey had been refused a visa to enter Canada, but did not explain why. FIFA explained that they were not responsible, as was the case with referees, staff, fans and journalists.
“FIFA has confirmed that player Thomas Partey will not be able to travel from the Ghanaian team’s base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for the opening match against Panama, as his visa application was rejected by the Canadian government. FIFA is not involved in the host country’s immigration procedures, including visa checks. As with previous FIFA events, the host country’s government ultimately decides who receives a visa and is allowed entry.
Partey is scheduled to play in the remaining two games.
However, the party has not been denied entry to the United States and has set up camps there. The remaining two group games are against England in Boston on June 23, then against Croatia in Philadelphia.
It has been a disappointing season for Partey in La Liga, as he failed to earn a place in the starting lineup at Villarreal and received some public criticism from coach Marcelino García Toral. It is not yet clear whether they will exercise the option to extend his contract for another year. At the time, Villarreal defended his contract by saying he was innocent until proven guilty.
