Ranking Member of Parliament’s Sports and Recreation Committee, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, has demanded a full-scale investigation into the two World Cup raffles organised ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
He alleged that Ghanaians were deceived into spending money on promises of fully sponsored trips that were never honoured.
The Old Tafo MP is demanding that the National Lottery Authority (NLA), the Ghana Football Association (GFA) and the Ministry of Sports and Recreation account for the proceeds of the raffles, publish the winners and explain why several successful participants failed to travel to the tournament.
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Addressing a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, November 5, Mr Assafuah questioned the handling of the World Cup Bonanza Raffle launched on November 4, 2025, and a subsequent government-backed Ghana 2026 FIFA World Cup Raffle launched on March 18, 2026.
Both initiatives, he said, were presented to Ghanaians as opportunities to support the Black Stars, with 220 lucky winners promised fully sponsored trips to the United States and Canada, including flights, accommodation, and match tickets.
According to him, participants staked GH¢10 through the *899# short code, while the second raffle also accepted entries through the website ghanaworldcupraffle.com.
Mr Assafuah alleged that the first raffle was abandoned after participants had paid to enter, with no satisfactory explanation about refunds, winners or the money collected.
He questioned why organisers proceeded to launch another raffle without first accounting for the first initiative.
The MP argued that the involvement of state institutions and President John Dramani Mahama in the launch of the second raffle gave the initiative credibility and encouraged ordinary Ghanaians to participate.
He said the second raffle also raised serious concerns after winners were allegedly instructed to submit scanned passports and other personal documents through a WhatsApp number bearing Mali’s international dialling code, +223, rather than Ghana’s +233.
Mr Assafuah claimed that winners were given only 95 minutes to submit their documents or risk forfeiting their prizes.
He also alleged that some winners were directed to Botwe, where they received FIFA passes with codes but no confirmed appointment dates for visa interviews at the US Embassy.
According to documents presented by the MP, one winner was notified on April 3, 2026, instructed to submit a passport on April 15 and summoned to a meeting at the Ministry of Sports and Recreation on April 22.
The individual was subsequently asked to submit visa forms, a police report, and photographs on May 7 before completing FIFA pass registration on May 29.
However, the winner’s US visa interview was reportedly scheduled for September 2, 2026, more than a month after the World Cup final on July 19.
Mr Assafuah questioned how the government could claim that raffle winners benefited from World Cup tickets when some were allegedly invited for visa interviews after the tournament had ended.
He cited comments attributed to the Sports Minister in a July 14, 2026, interview with 3FM, indicating that the ministry had purchased 2,922 group-stage tickets with public funds and allocated some to raffle winners.
The minister was also quoted as saying that tickets went to recognised supporter unions, public raffle winners and Ghanaians living in the United States and Canada through Ghana’s diplomatic missions.
However, Mr Assafuah disputed the claim, insisting that some of the announced winners did not receive tickets or travel to support the Black Stars.
He said neither the NLA nor the Ministry of Sports and Recreation had published comprehensive records of ticket sales, revenue generated, prize costs or the number of winners who actually travelled.
The MP demanded the publication of the official draw procedures, complete records of both raffles, verifiable lists of the 220 winners and a breakdown of all money collected.
He charged the government to disclose the ownership of the WhatsApp number used to collect winners’ documents, explain how their passport information was stored and shared, and publish the contractual arrangements involving the NLA, Rambel Lotteries and the operators of the raffle website.
Mr Assafuah appealed to the Auditor-General to conduct a special audit of both raffles and the World Cup Fund, and urged Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee to take evidence on the matter.
He also appealed to the Data Protection Commission to investigate the collection and handling of winners’ personal information and demanded full compensation for Ghanaians who allegedly paid into the raffles but did not receive their promised prizes.
The Old Tafo MP disclosed that he had already petitioned the Office of the Special Prosecutor and President Mahama over the wider World Cup visa scandal.
According to him, he had declined an invitation to assist a presidentially established committee chaired by Professor Doho, arguing that an independent public commission of inquiry would provide greater transparency and accountability.
He insisted that the controversy goes beyond football, raising questions about the use of public institutions to mobilise money from citizens and the protection of personal information.