Source: Africa Publicity
Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has announced the commencement of diplomatic engagements with the United States and Canada to facilitate visa arrangements for Ghanaian football fans, officials, and the Black Stars team ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Ablakwa confirmed that he had convened separate meetings with officials from the US Embassy and the Canadian High Commission in Accra on Tuesday to begin discussions on smooth travel processes for Ghanaians heading to North America for the global tournament.
“Yesterday I convened meetings with officials of the US Embassy and Canadian High Commission to commence discussions on visa arrangements for Ghanaian football fans following the qualification of the Black Stars to the 2026 FIFA World Cup,” Ablakwa stated.
The Ghanaian delegation at the meetings included the Technical Advisor to the Minister for Sports, Hon. Betty Krosbi Mensah; Ghana Football Association (GFA) President and CAF Vice President, Kurt Okraku; and Senior Directors from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Sports.
The US delegation was led by Acting Ambassador Rolf Olson, while the Acting Canadian High Commissioner, Dennis Roussel, led the Canadian team.
According to Ablakwa, the key goals of these early engagements are “ensuring there is mutual understanding of all sides on expectations and requirements, enhancing coordination, improving visa facilitation and developing clear working roadmaps to maximize satisfaction.”
Discussions also focused on the possibility of “special arrangements for football fans, officials and the team outside regular visa application processes.”
In a significant development, the minister highlighted that the US government’s recent reversal of visa restrictions—which had previously allowed only single-entry visas—was a welcome move.
“It was acknowledged that the recent reversal of US visa restrictions which had imposed single-entry visas was timely as that will pave the way for multiple-entry visas allowing Ghanaian fans to re-enter the US as they please after watching games in the two other host nations of Canada and Mexico,” Ablakwa noted.
In a symbolic gesture during the meeting, GFA President Kurt Okraku presented Black Stars replica jerseys to the diplomatic officials. Ablakwa added, “Our Embassy friends and I are grateful to GFA President, Kurt Okraku for the Black Stars replica jerseys.”
Ablakwa further revealed that a similar meeting is scheduled for Friday with officials of the Mexican Embassy to complete the tri-nation engagement process ahead of the World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico.
