‘Who prepared and approved the list?’ Minority questions NSA over World Cup visas

The National Sports Authority (NSA) is facing scrutiny from the Minority in Parliament over its handling of visa applications for the 2026 World Cup in Canada. The NSA provided the Canadian Embassy with a list of 102 applicants, comprising staff and affiliates, but only 15 of them have been verified as genuine NSA employees, while the remaining 87 remain unconfirmed.

Ranking Member on the Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, expressed concern over the situation after the Canadian Embassy requested additional information on each applicant's role and purpose of travel. As a result, the NSA submitted the list on June 8.

The Minority has questioned the authenticity of the list, alleging that some individuals were assigned job titles that do not exist within the NSA's structure. Specific examples include Susan Agyeiwaa Kudom, who was listed as a Procurement Officer despite lacking such a position, Francis Amoako Owusu, also presented as a Procurement Officer, and Linda Oduro Tenkorang, described as a chaplain, even though she is not an NSA employee.

The Minority is now seeking answers to several questions: who was responsible for preparing and approving the list, why non-staff members were included alongside fabricated roles, and who covered the costs of their processing. They have called for a thorough independent investigation, using NSA records, diplomatic correspondence, and payment documents, to shed light on the matter.

The Minority asserts that the issue raises doubts about how the state agency represented itself to a foreign mission.