Also known as: Mr. Ampofo Ankrah · National Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah · Mr Yaw Ampofo Ankrah · Mr Ampofo Ankrah · NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah
Suspended National Sports Authority Director-General accused in 2026 FIFA World Cup visa scandal involving alleged commission payments and visa irregularities.
News reports
Order a long-term news report on Yaw Ampofo Ankrah
Every mention in the Ghanaian press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.
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Joy Online
Ranking Member of Parliament for the Youth and Sports Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, says the removal of National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah should not be treated as the end of accountability over the controversy surrounding the alleged World Cup …
Ankrah’s removal should not end accountability over World Cup visa controversy – Ekow AssafuahJoy Online
Emmanuel Osei Sarpong has been appointed Acting Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA) following the suspension of Yaw Ampofo Ankrah by President John Dramani Mahama. …
Prof. Emmanuel Sarpong replaces Yaw Ampofo Ankrah as National Sports Authority bossJoy Online
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah has been suspended from his position as Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), following controversy over an alleged visa facilitation arrangement linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. …
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah suspended as NSA Director-General amid World Cup visa controversyJoy Online
… Meanwhile, the Minority has called for the dismissal of NSA Director General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah over the allegations.
I am aware of 2026 World Cup visa scandal but … – Ernest NorgbeyJoy Online
… The delegation, led by Auto Racing Ghana (ARG) president Samuel Moses Opoku-Agyemang, paid a courtesy call on National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah in Accra. …
Team Ghana set for historic Karting Africa Showrun in AngolaJoy Online
The Minority in Parliament is demanding the dismissal or suspension of the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, over allegations of money collection linked to visa facilitation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. …
Minority demands suspension or dismissal of NSA boss over World Cup visa allegationsJoy Online
… It stressed that the arrangement with TRIBE FEST “did not extend to authorise TRIBE FEST, any NSA employee or any other person to collect money for the procurement of visas on behalf of the NSA.” Though Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah had earlier denied any know when JoySports …
NSA distances itself from $623,000 World Cup visa allegationsJoy Online
… The Director General, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has revealed that both Niger and Somalia are seeking to use the venue for their respective matches during the international break. …
AFCON 2027Q: Somalia, Niger to play home matches at Accra Sports Stadium as CAF clears facilityDaily Guide
… tey Powers Former Ghanaian boxer Michael Ayitey Okai, popularly known as Ayitey Powers, has been released after the Dansoman Circuit Court discontinued the case against him over an alleged death threat directed at National Sports Authority (NSA) Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah …
Ayitey Powers Freed As Court Discontinues Death Threat CaseJoy Online
… Samson Deen – the Board’s representative from NPC Ghana, President of NPC Ghana and President of the African Paralympic Committee – chaired that committee, with NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah as co-chair. …
Ghana’s Constituency Games at a governance crossroadsThe NPP has called for the Sports Minister's resignation over allegations of irregularities in visa arrangements for Ghanaian personnel linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including alleged payments of up to US$14,000 and unverified personnel identities. The demand follows the resignation of the National Sports Authority CEO.
29 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The NPP has called for the Sports Minister's resignation over allegations of irregularities in visa arrangements for Ghanaian personnel linked to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including alleged payments of up to US$14,000 and unverified personnel identities. The demand follows the resignation of the National Sports Authority CEO.
29 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Newsfile examined three issues: a sexual abuse scandal at Obuasi Senior High Technical School; GH₵49.72 million spent on evacuating 1,964 Ghanaians from South Africa; and a World Cup visa scandal involving a reported US$26,000 payment to the police on behalf of suspended National Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
24 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Joy Online reports that Newsfile will investigate three public controversies: the Obuasi Senior High Technical School sexual-abuse scandal with 19 reported complainants, a GH₵49 million South Africa evacuation with disputed records, and a World Cup visa scandal involving returned funds, raising questions about institutional accountability and public trust.
23 October 2026 · Joy Online →
A total of $26,000 has been paid to the police on behalf of suspended National Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, part of $56,000 he is alleged to have received as commission from proceeds linked to the World Cup visa scandal. The payment was made last week by a friend of Mr Ankrah with his approval amid ongoing investigations into visa racketeering involving NSA officials.
20 October 2026 · Joy Online →
National Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah was suspended by President Mahama following allegations that about US$623,000 was received from prospective travellers seeking visa assistance for the World Cup, with about 90 people reportedly paying $10,000–$15,000 each but only five obtaining visas. Ankrah has expressed confidence in his exoneration and maintains his innocence.
19 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The opposition NPP has called for the immediate removal of Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Iddie Adams over allegations that official government correspondence was used to facilitate visa applications for individuals falsely presented as public officers, with more than US$600,000 reportedly collected from applicants. The party says the removal of the National Sports Authority's Director-General is insufficient and accuses the government of shielding senior officials from accountability.
15 October 2026 · The Chronicle →
The NPP has called on the Presidency to clarify whether NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah has been dismissed or suspended over alleged 2026 FIFA World Cup visa scandal allegations, noting conflicting official accounts and questioning the delayed government response.
15 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Sports Minister Kofi Adams has rejected Parliament's Minority calls for his dismissal following an alleged visa scandal in which about 90 people reportedly paid $10,000–$15,000 each for FIFA World Cup visas but only five obtained them. Adams claims government money was not lost and that the Ministry was unaware of the matter, which involved the American Embassy, TRIBE Culture Fest, the NSA, and the GTA.
14 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Sports Minister Kofi Adams says some Ghanaians ignored repeated warnings and paid intermediaries who falsely claimed to secure US and Canadian visas for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite the Ministry cautioning against trusting individuals who promised influence through personal government connections.
14 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Sports journalist Fentuo Tahiru Fentuo recounted how some Ghanaians who travelled to Australia as journalists for the 2018 Commonwealth Games could not operate a recorder or explain their media duties, exposing them as posers during Australian immigration checks.
13 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Former Deputy Sports Minister Pius Hadzide has attributed the 2018 Australia visa scandal to failures in the Commonwealth Games accreditation process, stating that the International Games Committee he chaired had no mandate to facilitate journalist visas and that responsibility lay with the games organisers and the Australian government.
13 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Former Deputy Sports Minister Pius Hadzide says his International Games Committee had no mandate to arrange journalists' visas in the 2018 Australian visa scandal, and that the Commonwealth Games Association handled accreditation through an online portal.
13 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Former Deputy Sports Minister Pius Enam Hadzide says signed letters and admissions of payment provide grounds for the NPP's criticism of Sports Minister Kofi Adams and suspended National Sports Authority boss Yaw Ampofo Ankrah over a 2026 World Cup visa controversy in which more than $623,000 was allegedly collected from prospective travellers for visa assistance, with some applicants receiving neither visas nor interview appointments.
12 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Former Deputy Sports Minister Pius Hadzide has questioned the establishment of a secretariat at the National Sports Authority and an appointment he says falls outside the authority's organisational structure, citing alleged payments and official correspondence between the Sports and Recreation Ministry, Foreign Affairs Ministry, and an embassy in connection with the 2026 World Cup visa controversy.
12 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Former Deputy Sports Minister Pius Enam Hadzide has challenged the description of the 2018 Australia visa affair as a scandal, arguing that no one has publicly identified him as receiving funds for Commonwealth Games travel. He says he was suspended over the controversy but was later exonerated and reinstated, and contends that time should now bring clarity rather than the incident remaining on the Sports Ministry's list of scandals.
12 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's Ministry of Sports and Recreation has distanced itself from alleged irregularities in visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying a Criminal Investigations Department probe will clarify the matter and hold accountable those involved. The Ministry presented documents showing engagement between the National Sports Authority and private entity TRIBE Culture Fest predated ministerial involvement.
12 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Minister for Sports and Recreation Kofi Adams says the National Sports Authority did not inform him about any visa arrangements it had reached with the United States Embassy ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, amid controversy over visa arrangements involving the NSA, Ghana Tourism Authority, and private entity TRIBE Culture Fest.
12 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The lawyer for former NSA Director General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, who was asked to step aside by President Mahama amid an investigation into a 2026 FIFA World Cup visa scandal, maintains his client's innocence and states he has not collected money for visas.
10 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Senyo Hosi has accused individuals of exploiting public office to facilitate alleged fraud in visa applications for Ghana's 2026 World Cup participation, stating that the focus should be on allegations that officials collected money from unsuspecting applicants rather than on which officials should resign. Reports indicate about US$623,000 was received from prospective travellers seeking visa and travel assistance.
10 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Senyo Hosi has argued that the visa arrangements controversy for the 2026 FIFA World Cup should be treated as a constitutional compliance and accountability matter, going beyond calls for the Sports Minister's resignation. Hosi warned the issue has implications for Ghana's reputation and the principles of probity and rule of law in public administration.
10 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The lawyer for suspended NSA Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah insisted his client has not received money from individuals connected to an alleged 2026 FIFA World Cup visa facilitation arrangement. The Criminal Investigations Department is investigating the matter, and Ankrah's lawyer urged the public to allow the process to establish facts.
10 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Senyo Hosi, convener of OneGhana Movement, says Ghana's controversy over visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup should be treated as a test of constitutional accountability rather than a debate over the Sports Minister's resignation. He stressed that public officials must uphold principles of probity, accountability and compliance with the law, and that the matter had implications for the country's reputation and public trust.
10 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The CEO of the Ghana Social Investment Fund defended the government's response to allegations of corruption in visa arrangements for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying President Mahama is committed to fighting corruption. The Minority in Parliament alleged that officials charged between US$7,000 and US$14,000 for visa processing, and questioned name verification from the Ghana Tourism Authority and National Sports Authority to US and Canadian embassies.
10 October 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana Social Investment Fund CEO Abass Nurudeen accused Parliament's Minority of exploiting visa controversy around Ghana's 2026 World Cup preparations for political gain, challenging them to produce evidence of wrongdoing against the Sports Minister. The Minority had claimed individuals paid between US$7,000 and US$14,000 for visa processing and alleged inflated personnel lists submitted to US and Canadian embassies by the Ghana Tourism Authority and National Sports Authority.
10 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Sports Minister's special aide stated that the Ministry of Sports and Recreation will not shield anyone found to have engaged in wrongdoing in the ongoing World Cup visa scandal investigation, emphasizing that the law must take its course. The CID is investigating allegations that approximately $623,000 in visa facilitation fees were collected in connection with Ghana's World Cup arrangements.
10 October 2026 · Joy Online →
The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority has denied personal involvement in the sale of visas or collection of money from applicants in exchange for visa opportunities linked to Ghana's 2026 FIFA World Cup tourism promotion activities. She said the Authority engaged the U.S. Embassy and Canadian High Commission for guidance on visa requirements but had no power to guarantee approvals.
9 October 2026 · Joy Online →
An investigation has revealed that government appointees presented visa applicants as National Sports Authority employees when they were not during Ghana's World Cup participation, prompting diplomatic queries from US and Canadian missions and the sacking of NSA boss Yaw Ampofo Ankrah.
9 October 2026 · Daily Guide →
Lawyers for suspended National Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah say he will not appear before Parliament while the Criminal Investigations Department investigates matters concerning him, arguing that doing so could complicate the investigation.
8 October 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Parliament's Minority Caucus has demanded the immediate dismissal of the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, and the Ghana Tourism Authority CEO, citing questions about their institutions' involvement in an alleged World Cup visa facilitation scheme. The caucus alleges that public institutions may have been used to process visa applications linked to 2026 FIFA World Cup activities and has called for a comprehensive investigation.
8 October 2026 · The Chronicle →
Ernest Norgbey, Chairman of Parliament's Youth and Sports Committee, has urged politicians to stay out of the ongoing investigation into alleged irregularities surrounding Ghana's World Cup travel arrangements and approximately $623,000 in visa facilitation fees. He said investigative agencies should be allowed to conduct their work without political pressure or commentary.
7 October 2026 · Joy Online →