Sports Minister’s Aide Says Driver Returned to Ghana After World Cup Amid Visa Scandal

The Special Aide to Ghana’s Minister for Sports and Recreation, Wonder Sitsofe Mandel, has disputed allegations that the minister’s driver failed to return to Ghana after travelling abroad during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Big Issue on October 10, Mandel said the police officer, who serves as Sports Minister Kofi Adams’ driver and bodyguard, returned to Ghana on July 1 and had remained in the country since then.

Mandel also defended the officer’s inclusion on a list submitted to the United States Embassy for visa processing ahead of the tournament. He explained that the officer qualified for an A-1 or A-2 visa as a police officer and government worker and therefore did not require a FIFA pass.

The clarification follows concerns raised by Vincent Ekow Assafuah, the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee, who alleged in September that the minister’s driver and a secretary in the Ministry’s Chief Director’s office had not returned after travelling for the tournament.

The Minority questioned the government’s assertion that all 431 people sponsored to attend the World Cup had returned to Ghana and called for the publication of the travellers’ details to establish their return status.

Sports Minister Kofi Adams previously rejected claims that members of the government-sponsored delegation had overstayed their visas, saying the authorities had received no formal notification from the United States or Canada about such cases.

Mandel’s latest statement directly addresses the allegation concerning the driver. However, questions raised by the Minority about the other traveller and the broader management of World Cup-related travel arrangements remain separate issues.

The dispute forms part of wider parliamentary scrutiny of government spending and the selection and travel arrangements for Ghana’s World Cup delegation.

2026 World Cup: Sports Minister’s driver returned to Ghana on July 1 – Special aide

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