Thomas Partey will miss Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama in the early hours of Thursday after an appeal against the decision not to grant the midfielder a visa into Canada was turned down.

The Athletic revealed on Friday that Partey, 33, would not be allowed to feature in his side's opening game of the tournament in Toronto.

A Canadian federal judge has rejected Ghana’s bid to get Thomas Partey into the country for the team’s first World Cup match while the midfielder awaits trial on rape charges.