Ghana’s World Cup Visa Controversy Deepens Over Alleged Fake Job Titles

Ghana’s Parliamentary Minority has raised fresh concerns over alleged irregularities in arrangements made to facilitate visas for people seeking to travel to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The Minority alleges that the Ministry of Sports and Recreation and the National Sports Authority (NSA) created or used non-existent job positions and institutional titles to present some visa applicants as officials of public institutions.

The allegations were made by Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, during an interview on JoyNews on October 7, 2026.

According to Mr Assafuah, some applicants allegedly paid between US$8,000 and US$9,000 and were subsequently presented to foreign diplomatic missions as employees or officials of institutions including the NSA and Ghana Tourism Authority.

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Questions over alleged staff positions

Mr Assafuah cited documents which, according to him, raise questions about the authenticity of positions assigned to some applicants.

One example involved an individual allegedly presented as a board secretary of the National Sports Authority. The MP argued that available institutional records did not support the claim that the person held that position at the time.

Another case cited by the Minority involved an applicant allegedly presented to the US Embassy as a procurement officer of the NSA, despite the person’s name reportedly not appearing among the Authority’s procurement officers at the relevant time.

The Minority described the alleged positions as fraudulent and called for a broader examination of how the applicants were presented to foreign missions.

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Visa controversy widens

The latest allegations form part of a wider controversy surrounding Ghana’s preparations and visa arrangements for the 2026 World Cup.

The controversy has already resulted in the suspension of NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, while security agencies investigate allegations concerning visa facilitation arrangements and payments from prospective travellers. Reports indicate that the amount involved in the broader controversy has been put at approximately US$623,000.

Mr Assafuah has argued that removing one official should not bring the matter to an end, insisting that other individuals and institutions whose roles may emerge from the investigation should also be examined.

The Minority has subsequently called for the removal and possible prosecution of Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams and other officials if investigations establish wrongdoing. These remain political allegations and calls for accountability, not established findings of criminal guilt.

Demand for accountability

The development is likely to increase pressure on the Sports Ministry and the NSA to explain the procedures used to identify and accredit people seeking to travel under the banner of Ghanaian sporting institutions.

The Ministry’s official structure confirms that the NSA operates as one of the agencies under the Ministry of Sports and Recreation, while the Ministry lists transparency and good governance among its stated priorities.

For genuine applicants, the allegations also raise concerns about the potential impact of questionable visa documentation on Ghana’s credibility with foreign diplomatic missions.

Investigations are expected to determine whether the alleged portfolios were deliberately created, who authorised the representations made to foreign missions, whether money changed hands improperly, and whether any public officials breached administrative or criminal laws.

Until those investigations are completed, the allegations against the Ministry, the NSA and named individuals should be treated as claims requiring verification and due process.