Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, the Vice President, has urged Ghana’s national football team, the Black Stars, to give their best at the FIFA World Cup.
The Vice President assured that the whole country is behind them, urging the Black Stars to play as a united team.
Speaking after she led a delegation of high-profile Ghanaians to visit the team’s camp in Toronto, Canada, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang stated,” Ghana is rooting for you, regardless of where you are, whether in the diaspora, on farms, or at home. The whole country is behind you”.
“We know you are doing well, and we know you will excel. I want you to go even higher. Every mother will want their child to be the best they can be and even excel when they think they have reached their goal. So we are here to encourage you to do more,” she said.
“You heard about the term group work, and I think that is part of the cooperation in sports. Regardless of what your strength is, you become even stronger when you play with somebody else. If in the process, you make someone else even stronger, we succeed even more,” she added.
Ghana will be facing Panama in their World Cup opener scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 11 PM GMT.
In related news, Thomas Partey, the Black Stars midfielder, will miss Ghana’s opening match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Panama after a Canadian court dismissed his appeal against the denial of a visa to enter the country.
The Canadian court decision comes despite efforts by the Government of Ghana to secure the player’s entry through diplomatic channels.
Justice Roger R. Lafrenière in Ottawa on June 16, 2026, delivered the ruling following Partey’s attempt to challenge a decision by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) denying him a Temporary Resident Visa.
Reports suggest Partey had asked the court to fast-track his application or, alternatively, compel Canadian authorities to reconsider his case on an urgent basis.
He argued that he needed entry clearance to join Ghana’s squad for its World Cup match against Panama in Toronto.
However, the Canadian court rejected the request, asserting that it could not bypass established immigration procedures or issue what would amount to a visa through an interlocutory motion.
Justice Roger R. Lafrenière noted that granting such relief would undermine procedural fairness, as it would deny the government adequate time to respond and bypass key steps such as filing complete records and obtaining leave for judicial review.
BREAKING: Thomas Partey loses appeal against Canada entry ban after Ottawa hearing. pic.twitter.com/Ezh36l0GQ1
— GHnow (@ghnow_) June 16, 2026
