Director General of the National Sports Authority (NSA), Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, has revealed that he has deliberately postponed his trip to the United States for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in order to experience the tournament from Ghana and assess the impact of the nationwide viewing centres being hosted at NSA facilities.
While many football stakeholders have travelled to North America for the global showpiece, the NSA boss has chosen to remain in Ghana for the opening phase of the tournament, watching as many matches as possible alongside local fans.
According to him, the decision was driven by a desire to closely monitor and evaluate the challenges, benefits and social impact of the watch-party initiative being organised across the country.
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah explained that he wanted to gain first-hand experience of how Ghanaians are engaging with the World Cup from home and how the NSA’s viewing centres are bringing communities together through football.
“One of the reasons that informed my decision to stay back home and soak up the World Cup in Ghana is that I want to feel and experience that vibe for the first time,” he said.
The NSA Director General noted that each of the previous four FIFA World Cup tournaments he covered with the Black Stars was spent outside Ghana, making this year’s experience a unique opportunity to witness the passion and atmosphere from a different perspective.
“Each of the previous four World Cup tournaments I have covered with the Black Stars have been outside Ghana. So this is a wonderful new experience for me,” he added.
Having now experienced the excitement and energy generated across the country, Ampofo Ankrah says he intends to travel to the United States later in the tournament.
“I’ll definitely travel to the US for the remainder of the tournament now that I have had a taste and feel of the raw organic local energy,” he stated.
His decision highlights the growing popularity of organised World Cup viewing centres in Ghana, where thousands of supporters have gathered to cheer on the Black Stars and enjoy the tournament together despite being thousands of miles away from the host venues.