From Cash Fight to Visa Controversy: World Cup scandals under Mahama’s presidency

President John Dramani Mahama’s tenure has been marked by controversies surrounding Ghana’s participation in FIFA World Cup tournaments.

One of the most notable incidents occurred during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, when physical cash was flown to the country amid a dispute over unpaid appearance fees, while tensions reportedly emerged among players at the team’s camp.

At the time, the government acknowledged the circumstances surrounding the incident and pledged to improve the management of the team’s affairs at subsequent tournaments.

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However, another controversy has emerged under the leadership of Kofi Adams, the current Minister of Sports and Recreation, involving allegations of visa fraud against individuals who reportedly paid for visa facilitation ahead of activities surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

This article examines two major controversies associated with Ghana’s participation in World Cup-related activities during Mahama’s administrations.

Elvis Afriyie Ankrah – The US$3 million flown to Brazil

The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil produced one of the most memorable off-field controversies in Ghanaian football history.

Then Minister of Youth and Sports, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, came under intense scrutiny after the Black Stars threatened to boycott training over unpaid appearance fees.

The government eventually arranged for more than US$3 million in cash to be flown to Brazil to settle the players’ payments.

The episode became a major subject of the Justice Dzamefe Commission of Inquiry, which examined the management of Ghana’s disappointing campaign at the tournament.

Afriyie Ankrah testified before the commission about the negotiations with the players and the arrangements that led to the money being transported to Brazil.

Days after Ghana’s elimination at the group stage, President John Dramani Mahama reassigned Afriyie Ankrah from the Sports Ministry and moved his deputy, Joseph Yamin, to another government position.

Kofi Adams – The 2026 World Cup visa controversy

The latest controversy involves the current Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, and arrangements relating to Ghana’s participation in activities surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.

The Minority in Parliament has called for Adams and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto, to be removed from their positions pending investigations into alleged irregularities involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), the GTA and the private entity TRIBE Culture Fest.

The allegations include questions about visa-facilitation arrangements, the amounts allegedly charged to applicants and the verification of lists submitted to foreign embassies.

The controversy intensified after President John Dramani Mahama asked the NSA Director-General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, to step aside while the police investigate the matter.

Adams, however, has denied wrongdoing in his ministry’s response to the allegations.

On October 11, the ministry said it had forwarded a request concerning prospective travellers through established administrative channels. It maintained that this did not mean the ministry had selected the applicants or guaranteed that they would be granted visas.

SB/JKB

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