The Minority in Ghana's Parliament is calling for a broader investigation into the country's 2026 FIFA World Cup visa arrangements. They argue that a documentary trail points to a wider network of institutional actors beyond suspended former National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah. The Minority claims that correspondence and documents involving the US and Canadian embassies raise serious public-interest questions about the roles of the NSA, Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Ministry of Sports and Recreation, and a private entity, TRIBE Culture Fest.
The controversy centers on how individuals were presented to foreign missions as NSA personnel, affiliates, or media practitioners, and who created, verified, and authorized the institutional identities under which they applied for World Cup-related visas. The Ranking Member on Parliament's Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, said documents available to the Minority showed that the US Embassy's Fraud Prevention Unit had questioned the employment status of some applicants submitted by the NSA.
According to Mr. Assafuah, the Canadian Embassy had similarly sought clarification on the employment status, functions, and reasons for travel of individuals presented as NSA-affiliated applicants. He welcomed President John Dramani Mahama's removal of Mr. Ampofo Ankrah but warned against treating the former NSA boss as the end of the accountability chain. Mr. Assafuah added that the emerging evidence had transformed the issue from one concerning the conduct of an individual official into a wider test of institutional accountability.
The Minority is seeking scrutiny of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between TRIBE Culture Fest and the NSA on June 2, 2025, establishing a strategic partnership for Ghana's World Cup framework and other sports-related activities. The agreement reportedly gave TRIBE operational access to NSA facilities for approved programs. Mr. Assafuah said this arrangement should form part of the investigation.
A list of 102 people allegedly submitted by the NSA to the Canadian Embassy on June 8, 2026, has raised concerns. Mr. Assafuah said only 15 had been verified as NSA personnel, leaving the status of the remaining 87 requiring explanation. He also alleged that some applicants were assigned positions that did not exist within the authority's organizational structure, raising questions about who compiled and verified the lists and who authorized their transmission to the foreign missions.
The GTA is facing separate questions over a list of 50 people reportedly submitted to the US Embassy as media personnel for World Cup-related activities. Mr. Assafuah said due diligence by the Embassy's Fraud Prevention Unit identified only Philip Narh and Andy Dosty, both associated with Multimedia Broadcasting Limited, as media practitioners, raising questions over the professional status of the remaining applicants.
Financial transactions linked to the arrangements are also under scrutiny. Mr. Assafuah said the NSA-TRIBE arrangement reportedly provided for charges of $3,000 per person for US processing and $2,000 for Canada, but alleged that some applicants were charged between $8,000 and $9,000, with other claims putting fees as high as $14,000. The Minority wants disclosure of the number of visa applications submitted through the GTA, how many were granted or refused, and how any visa opportunities secured through the Authority were allocated.
Key points
- The Minority in Parliament is demanding a broader investigation into Ghana's 2026 FIFA World Cup visa arrangements.
- The controversy involves a list of 102 people allegedly submitted by the NSA to the Canadian Embassy, with only 15 verified as NSA personnel.
- Financial transactions linked to the arrangements are under scrutiny, with allegations of varying charges for visa applications.
