Partey denied entry to Canada, set to miss Ghana opener

Thomas Partey will miss Ghana's opening World Cup match against Panama after being denied entry to Canada, The Athletic reports on Friday.

The 32-year-old midfielder, who currently plays for Villarreal, was included in Ghana's squad for the tournament but will not be permitted to travel from the team's base in the United States to Toronto for Thursday's Group L clash.

FIFA confirmed that Partey's visa application had been rejected by Canadian authorities.

"FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana's team base camp in the USA to Canada for their first match against Panama as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government," a FIFA statement said.

Partey has been charged in the United Kingdom with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is awaiting trial.

Canada's immigration rules state that individuals who have committed or been convicted of certain crimes may be deemed inadmissible, although Partey has not been convicted and the case remains ongoing.

While he is unavailable for the Panama fixture in Toronto, Partey remains eligible to feature in Ghana's remaining group-stage matches against England in Boston and Croatia in Philadelphia.

Partey called up for Ghana's WC squad: Innocent until proven guilty