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President John Dramani Mahama has directed the Director-General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, to step aside from his position.
In his place, Professor Emmanuel Osei Sarpong has been appointed Acting Director-General of the NSA.
Prof. Sarpong, an Associate Professor of Physical Education and Sports at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW), takes over at a time of increased scrutiny over the management of Ghana’s sports facilities and an ongoing police investigation into an alleged visa facilitation scheme connected to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mr Ampofo Ankrah’s departure ends his tenure at the Authority following months of public and political scrutiny over the management and condition of the country’s sporting infrastructure.
The NSA has rejected allegations that it authorised or participated in a scheme involving the collection of money for visa facilitation. The Authority’s legal representatives have, however, indicated that it is cooperating with the police investigation.
The latest development comes less than a month after President Mahama dissolved the NSA’s governing board on September 2, 2026.
Although Mr Ampofo Ankrah was a member of the dissolved board, he remained in charge of the Authority’s day-to-day operations after the board was disbanded.
Pressure on his leadership increased in September when the Minority in Parliament called for his suspension or removal over allegations that more than US$600,000 had been collected from people seeking assistance with visa and travel arrangements for the World Cup.
The Minority further alleged that some individuals were asked to pay as much as US$8,000.
Mr Ampofo Ankrah and other NSA officials were subsequently reported to have been questioned by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) as part of the probe.
The NSA has denied authorising any visa facilitation or money-collection arrangement, describing the allegations as false.
The change in leadership also comes against the backdrop of concerns about the state of key sporting venues, including the Accra Sports Stadium and Baba Yara Sports Stadium, which have come under scrutiny over their readiness to host major sporting events.
Prof. Sarpong therefore assumes leadership of the NSA amid heightened attention on the maintenance of Ghana’s sports infrastructure, the administration of the Authority and the ongoing investigation.