NSA denies involvement in alleged $623,000 World Cup visa scheme, pledges cooperation with police

The National Sports Authority (NSA) has denied allegations that its officials collected about $623,000 from members of the public under the pretext of facilitating visas for the FIFA World Cup, insisting it neither authorised nor operated any visa collection scheme.

In a statement issued on 15 September 2026, the Authority described the claims as false and said it had never established an office at the stadium to receive payments or process visas for prospective World Cup travellers.

The response follows reports alleging that some individuals at the NSA received money from applicants with promises of securing World Cup visas.

"The Authority has not engaged in, sanctioned or authorised any visa-related activities of the kind alleged in the publication," the statement said.

• TRIBE FEST role clarified

The NSA also sought to clarify the role of TRIBE FEST, explaining that the organisation was a FIFA-licensed partner that collaborated with the Authority, the Ghana Tourism Authority and other partners on fan experience activities, World Cup viewing events and event mobilisation.

However, it stressed that the partnership did not grant TRIBE FEST, NSA employees or any other person authority to collect money on behalf of the Authority for visa procurement.

• CID petition acknowledged

The Authority said it was aware of reports that a petition had been submitted to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service over the matter.

It added, however, that it had not been officially notified of the full details of the petition and would not speculate about its contents or the individuals reportedly named.

Despite rejecting the allegations, the NSA said it was prepared to cooperate fully with investigators.

"The Director-General and any other officer of the Authority will make themselves available and provide all necessary assistance if invited by the Police," the statement said.

• Call for restraint

The Authority maintained that any proven misconduct by an employee or third party should be dealt with according to the law, but cautioned against attributing the alleged actions of individuals to the institution unless investigations establish that they acted with official authorisation.

It also urged the public and the media to avoid treating unverified allegations as established facts while investigations continue.

The statement was signed by the Management of the National Sports Authority, which reiterated its commitment to supporting any lawful investigation into the allegations.