Special Aide to the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Wonder Sitsofe Mandel, says TRIBE Culture Fest, the National Sports Authority (NSA) and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) held separate engagements with the US Embassy in Ghana ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His comments follow a press briefing by the Ministry on Friday, October 9, in response to visa-related allegations raised by the Minority in Parliament.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on Saturday, October 10, Mr Mandel said the embassy briefed the Ministry on the separate arrangements during a meeting on April 9.
He said the embassy outlined its previous engagements with some Ghanaian institutions and introduced the Ministry to its arrangements with TRIBE Culture Fest. According to him, the embassy also proposed a technical coordination group to streamline visa and consular arrangements for organisations seeking to send more than 10 people to support activities surrounding the tournament.
Mr Mandel cited the embassy’s statement, which he said outlined separate arrangements for government-affiliated entities whose employees were not eligible to travel on official visas.
“If you check the second paragraph in their own statement, they said that for government of Ghana affiliated entities such as the GFA, National Sports Authority, and Ghana Tourism Authority whose employees are not entitled to travel on official visa, the embassy has a separate request seeking to send more than 10 persons to support the World Cup activities,” he said.
Mr Mandel also said the Sports Minister had repeatedly warned the public against individuals claiming to have special access to visa appointments or influence through his office.
He said the warnings predated the current controversy and were intended to protect prospective travellers from individuals or organisations falsely claiming to represent the Ministry or the World Cup Oversight Committee.
“That warning was not made after this controversy that is going around. It was made before the tournament during the engagement with the embassy, and the Ministry was also ready to verify persons or institutions whose identities were being presented in connection with government institutions or agencies under the Ministry,” he said.
