Ghana's Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has rejected allegations that members of the government sponsored delegation to the 2026 FIFA World Cup failed to return to Ghana after travelling to North America.

The allegations were raised by the Minority in Parliament, which questioned the government's assertion that all 431 people sponsored to attend the tournament had returned.

Appearing before Parliament's Youth and Sports Committee, Adams said the Ghanaian government had received no official communication from authorities in either the United States or Canada indicating that members of the delegation had overstayed their visas.

The Minority is demanding documentary evidence to establish the whereabouts and return status of the state sponsored travelers.

MINORITY QUESTIONS RETURN OF ALL 431 TRAVELLERS

The dispute emerged after the Minority challenged the Sports Minister's account that all 431 government sponsored travelers had returned to Ghana.

Ranking Member on Parliament's Youth and Sports Committee Vincent Ekow Assafuah alleged that the Sports Minister's driver and a secretary working at the office of the Ministry's Chief Director were among those who travelled but had not returned.

The Minority has asked the Ministry to publish information concerning the 431 sponsored travelers to allow their return status to be verified.

The allegations concerning the two officials have not been independently established.

KOFI ADAMS REJECTS ALLEGATIONS

Adams rejected the Minority's claims and questioned the information on which they were based.

He said neither American nor Canadian authorities had formally informed the Ghanaian government about any visa violations involving members of the delegation.

Adams said he recently met officials from the US Embassy in Ghana, including consular and political officials, and no concern about alleged World Cup visa overstays was raised.

He also said no official communication concerning such overstays had been sent to Ghana's Minister for Foreign Affairs.

The Minister maintained that the information circulating could be inaccurate.

US EMBASSY MEETING DID NOT RAISE OVERSTAYS

According to Adams, his discussions with US officials instead included preparations for future international sporting events.

He said American officials encouraged Ghana to begin preparations early ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games to provide sufficient time for processing travel applications.

Adams presented the discussions as evidence of continued cooperation between Ghana and US authorities.

However, the absence of an official notification does not independently establish whether every individual sponsored for the World Cup has returned.

MINORITY DEMANDS DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE

The Minority maintains that the government should provide documentation to resolve the disagreement.

Assafuah has called for information on the 431 people sponsored by the state to be made available so their travel and return status can be verified.

The demand places additional scrutiny on the government's management of public funds used to support Ghanaian participation at the World Cup.

Government sponsored international travel has previously generated public debate in Ghana over expenditure, selection of delegates and accountability.

CLAIMS REMAIN DISPUTED

For now, the positions of the government and Minority remain different.

Adams maintains that there is no official evidence from US or Canadian authorities showing that members of the government sponsored delegation violated their visa conditions.

The Minority disputes the claim that every sponsored traveler returned and is demanding documentation to support the government's position.

No independent evidence establishing that the two officials identified by the Minority illegally overstayed their visas has been presented in the reports reviewed.

Further documentation from the Sports Ministry or confirmation from immigration authorities could provide greater clarity over the return status of the delegation.