Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Iddie Adams, has defended the government’s handling of the 2026 FIFA World Cup raffles, revealing that five winners secured US visas and travelled to support the Black Stars, while unsuccessful applicants are being offered alternative compensation.
His response follows allegations by the Ranking Member of Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee and Old Tafo MP, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, who accused the government and its agencies of mishandling the World Cup raffles and failing to honour promises made to participants.
Addressing journalists in Parliament on Thursday, Mr Adams dismissed the allegations as falsehoods, insisting that the government had taken steps to protect participants and ensure that winners of the raffles were appropriately compensated.
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He explained that the first raffle was organised by Rambel Lotteries in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association (GFA), but the process was subsequently discontinued after Rambel decided to withdraw.
According to the minister, the Ministry of Sports and Recreation intervened and instructed Rambel to honour its obligations to participants who had already won prizes before the suspension.
A meeting, he said, was held under his supervision, during which it was agreed that approximately seven to 10 winners would have their travel documents processed.
However, Mr Adams said Rambel had already refunded all participants, including the winners, before the meeting.
“Every pesewa was refunded to all the stakers, including the winners,” he stated.
He added that the ministry subsequently proposed that the initial winners who still wanted to benefit from the travel package should return their refunded stakes to Rambel to enable the company to process their documents.
However, according to information presented to the ministry, almost all the affected winners rejected the arrangement, preferring to retain their refunds.
On the second Ghana World Cup raffle, Mr Adams disclosed that 31 winners were selected and processed for travel, but only five successfully secured US visas.
He explained that the remaining applicants were either refused visas or received interview dates that fell outside the World Cup period.
The five successful applicants, he said, travelled to the United States, attended the tournament’s activities and watched the matches before returning to Ghana.
For those who could not travel, the minister said the government introduced alternative arrangements, including opportunities to attend future international football competitions or receive financial compensation.
He disclosed that some of the affected winners were contacted about travelling to Morocco for another competition but declined because of the short notice and difficulties associated with obtaining permission from their employers after the earlier disappointment.
Mr Adams said some participants subsequently opted for financial compensation, while the ministry and the World Cup Fundraising Committee are working to settle the remaining cases.
He assured Ghanaians that funds raised through the raffle organised by Impuntu have not been spent.
“Every pesewa of the raffle that was run by Impuntu has not been touched. That money has not been touched. The fundraising committee is still holding onto those funds to make sure that everybody is appropriately compensated,” he said.
The minister also rejected allegations that winners were directed to submit their personal documents through suspicious foreign telephone numbers, describing claims being circulated by the NPP Minority as false.
He maintained that the affected winners have been engaging with their representatives and are aware of the arrangements being made to address their concerns.
Mr Adams’ response follows Mr Assafuah’s demand for a comprehensive investigation into the two World Cup raffles, calling on the Auditor-General to conduct a special audit and the government to publish details of ticket sales, revenue collected, winners and the financial arrangements behind the initiatives.
The Old Tafo MP had also questioned why some winners allegedly received visa interview appointments after the tournament had ended and demanded accountability over the collection and handling of participants’ passport information.
The minister, however, maintained that the government has not abandoned the affected participants and that arrangements are underway to ensure those who could not travel received either alternative opportunities or financial rewards.