World Cup visa scandal worst Ghana has ever experienced - Fiifi Boafo

A member of the Communications team of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Stephen Fiifi Boafo, has described the alleged World Cup visa scandal as the worst visa-related scandal the country has ever experienced.

He says the revelations, which border on alleged extortion of applicants who sought to travel for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, are shameful and embarrassing, and have significantly damaged Ghana's international reputation.

Speaking on The KeyPoints on TV3 Saturday, October 10, 2026, Boafo recalled how the National Democratic Congress (NDC), while in opposition, was critical of how Ghana procured visas for international sporting activities.

He said it is therefore shocking that a similar scandal has emerged under its administration.

"After what the NDC said about Ghana's participation in international sporting activities and how visas are procured, the last thing we expected was to have this in our hands and I think it's the worst the country has experienced ever," he stated.

His comments come on the back of allegations that some Ghanaians who sought to travel for the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosted in the US, Mexico and Canada were charged between $8,000 and $9,000 under arrangements involving the National Sports Authority (NSA), Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) and private partner TRIBE Culture Fest, despite an official agreement of $3,000 for US visas and $2,000 for Canada.

The Minority in Parliament has alleged that only 15 of 102 names submitted to the Canadian Embassy as NSA staff could be verified, with about $623,000 allegedly collected in facilitation fees.

According to the former Director of Public Affair for Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), the act "is a shame, it's embarrassing, and it is one that requires immediate action to help us repair the damage that it has caused to our country."

Boafo argued that beyond the financial concerns, the scandal has badly dented Ghana's international reputation, the reason government must act decisively to demonstrate that the State is not complicit in the alleged racketeering.

"A huge damage has been done to our image as a country. The least expected is for the President and government to act in a manner that will give everybody a clear indication that this is not a State-sponsored racketeering activity, so that the image of our country will be repaired. Our country's reputation is at stake," he stated.