Vincent Ekow Assafuah, Ranking Member of Parliament’s Minority, has raised concerns over discrepancies in staff lists submitted to foreign embassies in connection with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, questioning the accuracy of representations made by the National Sports Authority (NSA).
Speaking in an interview, Assafuah cited documents which he said indicated that some individuals were presented to the United States and Canadian embassies as NSA officials, despite their stated positions allegedly not matching the authority’s records.
He referenced an email dated January 28, 2026, which identified one individual as the NSA board secretary, while a separate letter signed by the board chairman named a different person for the same position.
Assafuah also questioned the inclusion of individuals described as procurement officers, regional coordinators and other officials whose positions, he alleged, could not be verified within the NSA’s organisational structure.
According to him, a list of approximately 102 people submitted in connection with World Cup activities in Canada contained only a small number of individuals he could identify as officers or affiliates of the authority.
“My version of this list, that is about 102 of them, exposed not more than 15 of them as officers or affiliates of the NSA,” he said on JoyNews.
He further cited correspondence from the Canadian visa section requesting documentary evidence to verify the applicants’ employment or affiliation with the NSA.
The MP argued that the inconsistencies raised concerns about how the lists were compiled and submitted to diplomatic missions, calling for closer scrutiny of the process.
His claims centre on whether the individuals presented as NSA personnel could be verified through the authority’s official records and whether the supporting documentation adequately established their affiliations.
