Ghanaians React to Visa Denial for Thomas Partey

Ghanaians expressed disappointment following the refusal of Thomas Partey's Canada visa for the Black Stars' opening game against Panama at the World Cup. The former Arsenal star received a denial of entry into Canada due to a pending court case in the United Kingdom.

Partey faces seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault involving allegations from four different women between 2020 and 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. After the confirmation that he will miss the game against Panama, many Ghanaians took to social media to express their frustration.

One user on X, AFC Ben10, questioned, "Can someone explain this to me? With the Thomas Partey situation, if he hasn’t been found guilty in court yet, how can a visa be denied? Doesn’t ‘innocent until proven guilty’ apply in Canada?"

Another prominent Ghanaian journalist, Bright Kankam Boadu, stated, "Still in shock over this Thomas Partey issue…. Why do we assume the accused is guilty until he proves his innocence; when it’s supposed to be the other way round?" He referenced the Benjamin Mendy case, arguing that it underscores the danger of treating the accused as guilty before a trial.

Mohammed Awal Hudu added, "They used lies to destroy the career of Benjamin Mendy and now they are coming for Thomas Partey." Saddick Adams asked, "On what grounds should Ghana have excluded Thomas from the squad? Was he not playing in one of the most professionally conducted leagues in the world? If Ghana had dropped him based on these allegations, wouldn’t that violate the presumption of innocence?"

Owusu Bempah Ayala opined, "I love how almost every Ghanaian is asking what happened to ‘presumption of innocence’ in the case of Thomas Partey… and that is spot on. My question is why do we lose the same understanding when people throw allegations without evidence?"

In the meantime, the Black Stars are expected to leave for Canada next week for their opening game against Panama on Wednesday, June 17.