Sports
Just in: Thomas Partey to miss Ghana’s World Cup opening match
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Ghana have suffered a major setback ahead of their opening match at the 2026 World Cup after midfielder Thomas Partey was reportedly denied entry into Canada.
Partey will be unavailable to play in Ghana opening match against Panama in Canada on June 17, access denied.
The Black Stars are scheduled to face Panama on Wednesday in their first Group game at the BMO Field in Toronto.
However, Partey will not be available for the encounter after being unable to travel to Canada, according to The Athletic.
The development comes as a major blow to Ghana’s preparations, with the former Arsenal midfielder expected to play a key role in the team’s campaign.
Partey’s absence means Ghana will have to make changes to its midfield plans for the match against Panama.
The reason for the entry denial was not officially stated by Ghanaian football authorities, but the Canadian government website states that “if you have committed or been convicted of a crime, you may not be allowed into Canada.”
Partey was recently charged with sexual assault, but he is awaiting trial and has not been convicted.
The former Arsenal star has denied the charges.
His unavailability leaves Ghana without one of their most experienced players as they begin their World Cup campaign in Toronto.
Ghana will be hoping to begin their campaign on a strong note despite Partey’s absence.
The Black Stars are among the African teams expected to make an impact at the tournament, but the latest development has added pressure on the coaching crew ahead of the opener.
The team will now have to rely on other midfield options to fill the gap left by Partey as they seek victory against Panama.
Sports
Nigeria’s Team D’Tigers risks hotel ejection in Angola, over unpaid bills, possible disqualification
Ugly development unfolding as Nigeria’s men’s basketball team, D’Tigers, is facing another administrative and funding crisis after reports emerged that the players risk being evicted from their hotel in Angola and could even face disruption of their campaign in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup African Qualifiers over unpaid accommodation and participation fees.
The latest development comes barely a day after D’Tigers boosted their qualification hopes with a hard-fought 84-81 victory over Tunisia in their opening Group C game in Luanda on Thursday.
However, despite the impressive result on the court, officials familiar with the tournament say Nigeria has yet to settle its financial obligations to the organisers and hotel management.
A source within the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) told journalists on Friday that the situation could escalate if the payments are not made promptly.
“Your team is looking good, but I don’t know if their participation will be disrupted by their situation here,” the FIBA official said.
“Nigeria has not paid for anything here, even though we understand your government officials could be in Luanda on Friday. I hope they are not ejected from their residence or even stopped from the competition.”
The funding crisis threatens to derail Nigeria’s bid to secure one of Africa’s qualification tickets to the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup, scheduled to be hosted by Qatar.
D’Tigers entered the second qualification window under pressure after managing just one victory from three games in the opening window.
To keep realistic hopes of qualifying alive, the Nigerian side is expected to win all three matches in Angola.
The latest controversy adds to a growing list of administrative setbacks that have plagued Nigerian basketball in recent years.
Only months ago, D’Tigers also battled funding challenges that delayed their preparations and forced the team to arrive at an international competition just moments before tip-off, raising concerns over the welfare of Nigerian athletes and the country’s approach to sports administration.
The crisis also comes after years of instability within Nigerian basketball, including the Federal Government’s suspension of the Nigeria Basketball Federation from international competitions in 2022 following a prolonged leadership dispute. Although the suspension was later lifted after intervention by the International Basketball Federation, concerns over poor funding, administrative inefficiency and inadequate planning have continued to dog the country’s basketball programmes.
Sports stakeholders have repeatedly warned that recurring financial and organisational failures risk undermining the performance of Nigerian teams despite their abundant talent.
Egypt have become the second African country to qualify for the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup.
The Pharoahs beat Australia 4-2 on penalties after the game ended 1-1 after 120 minutes.
Emam Ashour opened the scoring in the first half, before Mohamed Hany’s own goal levelled the game in the 55th minute.
It’s a first ever World Cup knockout win for Egypt and they will face either Argentina or Cape Verde next.
Morocco were the first African team to progress into the Round of 16 and they will take on co-hosts Canada.
Six countries from the continent have already been eliminated.
FIFA is considering switching the 2026 World Cup last-16 match between co-hosts Mexico and Egypt to a 7pm BST kick-off time on Sunday, due to thunderstorms in Mexico City.
The game, which will be played at the Azteca Stadium, was initially scheduled to start 6pm local time on Sunday (1am BST on Monday).
Latin America broadcaster Claro Sports reports that due to forecasts of heavy thunderstorms and rain in the area, the match has been moved to an earlier time.
Andres Vaca, a commentator for Mexico’s official World Cup broadcaster TUDN, has also announced that the kick-off time for Mexico vs England has moved to the earlier time.
FIFA has yet to officially confirm the switch.
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