Ghana's former deputy sports minister says the ministry can't fully control bodies like the GFA, and that relentless press scrutiny keeps its troubles in the spotlight.
Ghana's Sports Ministry keeps landing in the headlines for the wrong reasons, and former Deputy Sports Minister Pius Hadzide says the problem runs deeper than any single scandal. He points to the ministry's restricted authority over sporting bodies and the constant glare of the sports press.
His remarks come as the fallout from Ghana's 2026 FIFA World Cup visa arrangements continues to rattle the sector. The controversy has already led to the suspension of the National Sports Authority's Director-General and fuelled louder calls for Sports Minister Kofi Adams to be removed from his post.
Hadzide explained that the ministry has to manage relationships with organisations that operate outside state control, the Ghana Football Association chief among them. In his view, this makes the job far trickier than in other ministries, where ministers have a firm grip on the agencies under them. The GFA, he stressed, is an independent association and not an organ of the state.
The same goes for bodies such as the swimming federation. Each has its own rules, and Hadzide argued that a minister who pushes too hard risks being accused of interference. That leaves a narrow path between oversight and overreach.
Hadzide also gave credit to sports journalists for keeping a close watch on the ministry, describing their work as valuable even when the attention is uncomfortable. With the World Cup approaching and pressure mounting, the spotlight on Ghana's sports leadership is unlikely to dim any time soon.
