Black Stars midfielder Kwasi Sibo says the team is determined to begin its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign with victory against Panama despite the absence of key midfielder Thomas Partey.

Partey will miss Ghana’s Group L opener in Toronto after Canadian authorities denied him entry into the country.

A Canadian court on Tuesday also rejected an emergency appeal seeking to overturn the decision. Canadian authorities ruled that he was inadmissible under the country’s immigration laws.

Reports indicate that the decision was linked to ongoing criminal charges he faces in the United Kingdom, which he denies.

Canadian officials also cited issues relating to information provided in his visa application.

His absence is a major blow for Ghana, with the experienced midfielder widely regarded as one of the country’s strongest players in the middle of the park and a key figure in the Black Stars setup.

Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup clash, Sibo said the players are united behind their teammate and want to deliver a positive result for him.

“Our coach always says whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Our brother has been through a lot these days, and we are always with him. He is one of our biggest stars” he said.

The midfielder noted that Partey has been part of Ghana’s journey from the beginning of the World Cup campaign, making his absence particularly difficult for the squad.

“We have to make sure we win the game for him as a family and make him happy,” Sibo said.

He admitted that it would be painful to play Ghana’s first match on football’s biggest stage without the former Arsenal midfielder but insisted the players are motivated to make him proud.

“It hurts that we are playing our first game at this big stage and he’s not with us. We are giving him our word that at the end of the 90 minutes, he will be happy,” he added.

Ghana will face Panama in its opening Group L match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the Black Stars seek a strong start to a group that also includes England and Croatia.

By: Jacob Aggrey

Black Stars Head Coach Carlos Queiroz says Ghana has done everything possible to prepare for Wednesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener against Panama, insisting the team is ready despite challenges and will treat the game as a must-win.

Speaking at the pre-match press conference at BMO Field on Tuesday, Queiroz said the Black Stars had followed their preparation plan through training sessions, matches, and meetings in the United States.

Read on for the full transcript:

On preparation going into the opening match

Thanks to Canada, Mexico, the United States and all the Africans for having all these teams here to perform for the World Cup. Talking about our preparation, it is very simple. We did what was planned. Of course, nothing is perfect in life, and we tried to take the best of all the opportunities that we had in front of us. The training sessions, the games, the meetings, we did everything that was in our hands possible to have our players ready for tomorrow. Simple like that.

Update regarding Thomas Partey and its impact

No. We have our plan settled. We are, at this moment, counting with all the 36 players that we have in the squad. Tomorrow we will make a decision. We will pick a starting line-up. No particular comments about that. I think it is not necessary to make comments. The story is open. The freedom of speech is open. So, to add more comments about issues that make no sense is not part of my business. My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me. We are waiting for a decision. When the decision comes, we are ready to make the final approach to the game.

On team readiness and a must win against Panama

Starting from that, what I have learned in football is that all games are a must-win. When we are in a club, we start the preparation. The first friendly game for the season is a must-win. The second is a must-win. I never remember in my life to play one game that was not a must-win. Why? Because our value is not based on intentions or wishes. Our value is based on results. The only medicine that works in football is to win. We are ready to fight for the results, knowing that nothing comes easy in football. As I said before, we have one team in front of us that has the same wishes and expectations. You mentioned one issue in the preparation. We played one game, but it was not the only game that the team played. There were other games before that we took lessons from. In terms of preparation, life is simple for us in football. One training is better than zero, two is better than one, three is better than two, and so on. Two games are better than one, three is better than two. But if you only have one game, you have to take the best of that situation. If we play one game, we train more.

On not playing more games before the tournament

If we play more games, we train less. In the end, the final outcome of football is always a mystery. We never know, because there is no formula that gives you success in football. It is what you have to do on the day, how much you are committed during the game. It’s special. After all these years, to be honest with you, I have a strong belief that this is a game of players. The moment we start the game, I count on my players and they are ready for that.

On cooling breaks

Let’s enjoy this competition. The decision is made; it’s done. It doesn’t matter now to express one opinion on top of something that is a fact. What I expect is always, at the end of the World Cup, the top people that have the responsibility to make these decisions to make an integrity report about the decisions that they make, listen to all parts of the game. Because the only comment I make in that compartment is this is a game of players, this is a game of coaches. Of course, the referees are part of our family, the officials. But this game cannot keep going. Marketing today, we cannot live without our sponsors. I belong to that generation of coaches that we try to keep sacred. Everything that happens inside the front lines, we don’t invite things outside, they shouldn’t invite inside. But unfortunately, it’s important to be sure that the decisions for the game, all the parts are listened.

On joining hands with integrity checks to develop football

This cannot be a game only with the referees giving opinions or a few coaches. I think, I do not want part of my business to give lessons to the leadership of FIFA and Confederations, but I think the decisions that must be shared in a balanced and equal way by everybody that has the responsibility to deliver. We are moving to a world of high technologies; we cannot ignore that. We have to live and have to learn to live with that. And step by step, I believe, because let’s say VAR was not perfect at the beginning, then it got better, then it got better. And we hope that this is part of the progress. So, the decision is made. Let’s respect at the end of the World Cup. Let’s make an integrity report. An integrity report must be clear and judged. If this decision was really made more to protect the health and the performance of the players, or if it was made to protect marketing and other issues. We have to be clear, so that at the end, we make a clear conclusion. And I hope in the next step, we come back with better and progress decisions. To debate this now, it’s just useless and complicates our lives.

On the fans

We know where we are. We know the size of the mountain that we have in front of us that we have to climb. But in the stadium, to be honest with you, I expect better. I expect our fans to do even better, because we need that. We need player number 12. We know that the fans from the other team will also be supporting, but I hope that during the game, the drums of Ghana will be 90 minutes in our hearts to accelerate the players, for the beat of our hearts to help us beat our opponents.

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