The Director General of Ghana’s National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has launched a scathing critique of the Canadian government’s decision to deny entry visa to Black Stars midfielder Thomas Partey, calling it “bizarre” and “unfair” while insisting the footballer remains innocent until proven otherwise.
Partey, 32, was officially ruled out of Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday after Canadian authorities rejected his visa application. FIFA confirmed the decision in a statement, noting that the former Arsenal star, who now plays for Villarreal, would be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for the match.
The visa refusal stems directly from legal proceedings in the United Kingdom, where Partey faces multiple charges of rape and sexual assault. The midfielder was first charged in July 2025 with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. In February 2026, two additional counts of rape were added, and Partey has pleaded not guilty to all charges. He is currently awaiting trial, which has been postponed and is now scheduled to begin in June 2027 at Southwark Crown Court. No conviction has been entered against him.
Speaking emotionally about the situation, Ampofo Ankrah argued that football’s biggest celebration was being dragged away from the pitch.
“Well, I think it’s a shame,” he said. “We should be talking about great goals, on-field decisions, and great play. But day two of the World Cup, the conversation is dominated by non-footballing decisions.”
He added: “Football is a celebration of the sport. Every four years, the superpowers and the so-called minnows go on to a level playing field. But the conversation now seems to be gearing away from football to other issues.”
The NSA boss drew comparisons to an earlier controversy involving officiating. Just days before Partey’s visa was rejected, top African referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan from Somalia was denied entry to the United States and removed from FIFA’s official list for the tournament. Artan was slated to be the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup but was turned away at the border following an 11-hour immigration interview.
“We’ve had the top referee on the continent of Africa being denied. You now have the most experienced player for the Black Stars also being denied,” Ampofo Ankrah observed. “We thought the controversy surrounding the top African referee had just started to die down a little bit. Now this.”
While acknowledging that this edition of the tournament—the first to feature 48 teams—had the potential to be historic, he cautioned that off-field drama was threatening to ruin it.
“It’s a poor precedent,” he said. “For an athlete, a sportsman who has paid his dues, we shouldn’t get carried away with media sensationalism and bad press. We could be in for a very uncomfortable World Cup where the headlines will be away from the pitch.”
Ampofo Ankrah concluded by rallying behind the player, calling on Ghanaians to support him.
“This will be his life, this will be his last World Cup. If you’re not guilty, you should receive the support of those who are supposed to support you. We should support Thomas Partey until he’s proven otherwise,” he said.
The tournament, which kicked off amidst a series of visa disputes and political tensions, continues with Ghana scheduled to face Panama on Wednesday without their most capped midfielder.
