Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has rejected claims that some members of Ghana’s government-sponsored delegation to the 2026 FIFA World Cup remained in the United States and Canada after the tournament.

The Minority in Parliament on Thursday, September 17, 2026, alleged that the driver of the Sports Minister and the secretary at the office of the Ministry’s Chief Director were among 431 people sponsored by the government to attend the tournament and had yet to return to Ghana.

The Minority questioned the government’s claim that all 431 sponsored travellers had returned, citing the two officials as alleged overstayers.

But appearing before Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, Mr Adams said neither US nor Canadian authorities had formally notified the Ghanaian government of any Ghanaian delegate who had overstayed their visa.

He dismissed the claim as potentially based on misinformation.

“They don’t have that information. This information may be one of the fake news,” he said.

Mr Adams said he had engaged officials of the US Embassy in Ghana on Wednesday, including the new consul officer and political head, but the issue of Ghanaian World Cup delegates overstaying their visas did not come up during the discussions.

“This matter of anybody overstaying his or her visa was never raised with us. They have never written to the Minister for Foreign Affairs that any such thing happened,” he said.

The Minister also questioned how the Minority obtained information about alleged overstayers when, according to him, no such information had been communicated through official channels.

“And so I don’t know the time you became the American ambassador in Ghana for you to know much about Ghanaians who have travelled there and have not returned,” he said.

Mr Adams said Ghana’s engagements with US officials had instead been positive, noting that the US Embassy had commended Ghana and discussed preparations for the 2028 Olympic Games.

He said US officials had encouraged Ghana to begin its preparations earlier to allow more people to be processed for travel.

“They actually have commended Ghana and they have asked us that towards the Olympic Games, we should start much earlier so that they will be able to process more persons,” he said.

Mr Adams consequently rejected the Minority’s allegation that some members of the government-sponsored delegation had overstayed their visas.

“So I reject that submission by the ranking on this matter,” he said.