Ghana's sports minister says his ministry was left in the dark on any NSA-US Embassy visa arrangement as the World Cup row deepens.
Ghana's road to the 2026 World Cup is picking up an off-the-pitch storm, and it is about transparency. Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams says his ministry was never told of any visa arrangement between the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the United States Embassy.
The Buem MP says the embassy never told the ministry where talks had reached, and the NSA never said it had any arrangement with the embassy. As far as the ministry knew, engagements were still ongoing and the rules and boundaries of operation were still being set.
The comments land amid growing controversy over visa arrangements involving the NSA, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and private outfit TRIBE Culture Fest. There are now calls for investigations into the roles played by the institutions and their officials.
Adams also drew a line between categories of travellers. NSA and GTA staff going on official government business would need a different visa category from personnel travelling with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), whose members would follow their own application process.
With Ghanaian fans, officials and the Black Stars all preparing for the biggest stage in football, the questions are piling up. Who negotiated what, who knew, and who was kept out of the loop? For a country with World Cup ambitions, clear answers matter as much as results on the pitch.
