Sports Minister Kofi Adams says neither the US Embassy nor the National Sports Authority formally informed his ministry of any alleged misrepresentation involving the 90 proposed volunteers and event coordinators submitted for visa processing ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He said the ministry received no such communication regarding the list it forwarded to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for onward transmission to the US Embassy. Speaking on Hot Issues, Mr Adams defended the ministry’s role in the visa-processing arrangements, insisting that its responsibility was to facilitate the submission of names provided by the relevant institutions.
According to him, the National Sports Authority (NSA) submitted a letter dated May 19, 2026, requesting ministerial support and visa facilitation for volunteers and event coordinators expected to support World Cup-related activities. The request contained a list of 90 people, whom the authority presented as volunteers and event coordinators.
Mr Adams explained that the ministry forwarded the list through the established channels after receiving instructions for government agencies and public institutions to submit their travel-related information through the Ministry of Sports and Recreation.
He maintained that the list did not identify the individuals as NSA board members or permanent staff but described them as volunteers and event coordinators. “The embassy has never returned to us on this 90,” he said, adding that neither the NSA nor the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had formally informed his ministry that any of the names had been misrepresented.
Four applicants questioned
Mr Adams, however, disclosed that the ministry had previously received a request to verify four individuals whose names had been submitted directly by the NSA to the US Embassy on March 18, 2026, before the subsequent ministerial arrangements.
He said the embassy sought clarification on whether the four individuals were NSA staff members or associates of the authority.
Following the request, the minister said he contacted the NSA Director-General to verify their employment status and requested details, including their staff identification, salary levels and employment records.
According to him, the Director-General subsequently informed him that the four individuals were not staff members of the authority. Mr Adams said he communicated the response to the embassy, stressing that the four individuals were not part of the later list of 90 volunteers and event coordinators. He, therefore, rejected attempts to link the earlier verification exercise to the 90-person list, insisting that the two matters involved separate submissions.
Ministry defends its role
The minister said the NSA and the Ghana Tourism Authority had been introduced to Tribe Culture Fest by the US Embassy for planned World Cup-related activations.
He explained that the activities were expected to include events across various regions in Ghana, as well as programmes in the United States, requiring personnel to assist with event coordination, logistics, media support and other operational duties.
According to him, the ministry understood that the organization would undertake the activities with sponsorship and other resources to support its operations. Mr Adams argued that the ministry had no reason, at the time; to assume that the individuals presented by the NSA as volunteers and event coordinators were not intended for those assignments.
He maintained that the ministry’s role was to transmit the information through the appropriate channels, while the embassy retained responsibility for assessing visa applications and determining applicants’ eligibility.
Investigation ongoing
Mr Adams said concerns about alleged payments for visa facilitation emerged after the World Cup-related activities, when some individuals reportedly complained that they had paid money to certain persons, but had not received the expected assistance or refunds. He said he received a petition from an individual who claimed to have submitted 15 people and paid approximately US$59,000.
The minister said he was also informed that a report had been made to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), adding that the matter was under investigation. He stressed that the allegations had not yet been conclusively established and that appropriate action would be taken if wrongdoing was proven.
Mr Adams further challenged those accused of collecting money to account for the funds, arguing that anyone found to have deceived applicants should face the appropriate criminal action.
The controversy has raised questions about the selection of personnel for World Cup-related activities, the verification procedures applied to proposed volunteers and the respective responsibilities of the institutions involved in facilitating travel arrangements.
By Jesse Otoo
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