2026 WC: MP challenges Kofi Adams’ claim all state sponsored travellers returned

Vincent Ekow Assafuah, ranking member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, has contested Sports Minister Kofi Adams’ assertion that all 431 government-sponsored individuals who attended the FIFA World Cup in North America returned to Ghana. This clash occurred after Adams testified to Parliament’s Sports Committee, claiming every sponsored traveler had come back home post-tournament.

Assafuah, however, contended that the minister's statement was not aligned with the information he possessed, asserting that certain individuals had not returned. He disclosed to Asempa FM that one of Adams' chauffeurs, Mr Otchere, remained in Canada, currently residing in the country. Additionally, Assafuah mentioned that a secretary from the Chief Director’s office, who was part of the delegation, had not returned.

"There’s a chief director’s office secretary who received sponsorship as part of the 431. That individual is still absent," Assafuah declared. He also accused some delegation members of posing as National Sports Authority (NSA) employees when they were not. According to Assafuah, a report in The Globe and Mail indicated that 45 people who were sponsored for the World Cup are now seeking asylum in Canada.

This, he argued, suggests that some sponsored individuals left for Canada on visa but failed to return. The Sports Minister has, however, insisted that all 431 sponsored travelers had indeed returned to Ghana following the World Cup.