A dispute over the list of people submitted to the United States Embassy as part of Ghana’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has intensified, with Old Tafo MP Vincent Ekow Assafuah accusing Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams of failing to do basic checks.
Assafuah said the minister should have verified the identities and affiliations of the 90 people on the list before forwarding it to the embassy, rather than relying entirely on information supplied by the National Sports Authority (NSA).
The controversy followed an interview in which Adams disclosed that he had received the list of individuals expected to perform various roles but had not independently cross-checked the names. He said he trusted the NSA to conduct the necessary due diligence before submitting them.
However, speaking to TV3 on October 12, 2026, Assafuah rejected the minister’s explanation, arguing that his position required him to ensure the information was accurate, particularly after concerns emerged over alleged discrepancies in the roles assigned to some individuals.
The MP, who serves on Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, described Adams as the most incompetent minister he had encountered and called for decisive action over the matter.
“And you fail to do the double-checking, the verification, the cross-checking to be sure that indeed all 90 people who were submitted to you are indeed staff of the NSA or affiliates of the NSA, then you are the most incompetent minister that I have ever seen,” Assafuah told TV3.
He argued that the minister could not simply act as a channel for information provided by the NSA without checking whether it was accurate.
“That is why I’m laying the blame at his doorstep, okay? That he is either complicit or negligent,” he added.
Assafuah also questioned why the list was forwarded despite what he described as warning signs from the US Embassy concerning names previously submitted by the institution.
“You are just telling us that you are just a conveyor belt. How incompetent can you be when you have been given a public institution to head?” he asked.
The MP further raised concerns about individuals he said had been misrepresented in the process of seeking visas linked to the tournament.
He cited the case of Alex Mensah, whose two sons, Theophilus Danso and Samuel Okete, were allegedly involved in payments connected to the visa process. According to Assafuah, the two names appeared on the list of 90 people submitted to the US Embassy.
“I am further demonstrating to you, among the 90 people I have personally visited, some of these people whose names were found on the ninety list,” he said, referring to a video he had shared publicly.
Assafuah added that he had shared the video with Shadrach, whom he mentioned during the interview.
The allegations have placed renewed attention on the preparation and verification of the list, as questions persist over who was responsible for checking the names and the roles assigned to those included.
While Adams has maintained that he relied on the NSA’s due diligence, Assafuah insists that the minister must be held accountable for forwarding the list without independently confirming its accuracy.
See the video below:
