NEW YORK, June 12 (Reuters) - Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will not take part in their World Cup game against Panama on Wednesday after his visa application to enter Canada was refused, FIFA said on Friday.
"FIFA can confirm 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," FIFA said in a statement to Reuters.
"FIFA
is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas."
A spokesperson for Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) told Reuters in an email statement that the country 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," the IRCC spokesperson said.
Partey is with the rest of the Ghana squad in Boston and will be eligible to play in their subsequent Group L matches against England in the city and versus Croatia in Philadelphia.
The 32-year-old Partey, a former Arsenal midfielder who now plays for Villarreal, faces allegations of rape and sexual assault in Britain. He has denied the charges.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot, additional reporting by Divya Rajagopal in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond, Ken Ferris and Christian Radnedge)
