Member of Parliament for Bosome Freho, Nana Asafo-Adjei Ayeh, has called on the government to intensify diplomatic efforts aimed at securing Thomas Partey’s entry into Canada ahead of Ghana’s crucial encounter against Panama.

The appeal follows reports that the Black Stars deputy captain has been denied a temporary residence visa by Canadian authorities, a decision that could rule him out of the Group L clash scheduled for June 17 in Toronto.

The government has already protested the visa refusal, but the lawmaker believes more proactive engagement is required to resolve the matter before the match.

He argued that Ghana’s diplomatic network has a responsibility to support national teams participating in international competitions and should deploy every available avenue to assist the midfielder.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Saturday, June 13, Mr Asafo-Adjei Ayeh said diplomatic intervention should go beyond public protests.

“The job of the Minister of Foreign Affairs is also to ensure that all our players have what it takes to be in the country. Particularly when the protest notice was given, it should have alerted authorities that extra care was needed,” he said.

He stressed that Ghana must utilise its diplomatic relations with Canada to seek a favourable outcome, adding that it would be disappointing if the country failed to exhaust all available options to secure the player’s participation.

The MP expressed hope that ongoing engagements would yield results and enable Partey to join his teammates before the important fixture.