Thomas Partey anticipates a “really happy” reunion with former Arsenal teammates when Ghana face England at the World Cup on Tuesday.
The former Gunners midfielder is available for Ghana after missing Wednesday’s 1-0 win over Panama in Toronto.
Partey was denied entry to Canada having been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in London between 2020 and 2022.
Partey has denied all the charges and will attempt to clear his name at a trial next summer.
Ghana return to Group L action in Boston on Tuesday against an England side which includes Partey’s former Arsenal team-mates Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice.
Partey told media in footage posted on TV3 Ghana’s X account: “I’m really happy to see them again. I hope they’re going to bring their best and try to give us the opportunity to play against the best and try to compete and enjoy the game.”
Ghana are second in Group L going into Tuesday’s match and will face Croatia in their final group game on Saturday.
Partey added: “It’s not about personal achievement. We are going to play a game of football.
“We are 11 players, we are a team. We have to play as a team. Individually if I can get my best game I will be happy, but at the end of the day it’s the whole team that needs to be at the top level to be able to achieve what you want to achieve.”
Partey had initially been refused a visa by the Canadian government, prompting his legal team to launch a last-minute challenge at the Federal Court in Ottawa last Tuesday.
In dismissing the appeal, judge Roger Lafreniere wrote that Partey sought “extraordinary, mandatory interlocutory relief” that would have required Canada to set aside a “lawfully rendered inadmissibility finding and facilitate his entry for a specific event.”
The US government has granted Partey a visa, but Canada’s immigration officials said that under Canadian law, foreign nationals can be found inadmissible without a foreign conviction.
“Things happen outside football that you cannot control,” Partey later told reporters, referencing the issue in Canada. “For me now, I feel OK and ready to play.
“We’ve been training good and everybody is ready, we are here to try our best and compete with the rest of the teams and I think preparation is key.”
