National Sports Authority Director-General Yaw Ampofo Ankrah believes Ghana can one day host the FIFA World Cup if the country begins planning early and commits to improving its sporting infrastructure over many years.
His comments challenge the common belief that hosting football’s biggest tournament is beyond Ghana’s reach. While acknowledging the enormous demands involved in staging a FIFA World Cup, Ankrah believes the country should not dismiss the possibility without first exploring what would be required.
Instead of focusing on the obstacles, he has encouraged Ghana to adopt a long term strategy that could eventually make such a dream achievable. According to him, the process should begin with learning from FIFA and understanding exactly what standards the country must meet.
He also believes Ghana could strengthen its chances by working together with neighbouring West African countries through a regional co hosting arrangement.
Rejecting the Idea That Hosting Is Impossible
Speaking on Joy Prime, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah said he does not agree with those who believe Ghana can never host the FIFA World Cup.
For many years, football supporters have viewed the tournament as something only the world’s wealthiest countries can organise because of the enormous financial and infrastructure requirements. However, Ankrah believes dismissing the idea entirely is the wrong approach.
He argues that every major achievement begins with careful planning and a willingness to learn from those who have already succeeded.
Rather than saying the dream is impossible, he believes Ghana should begin asking practical questions about what needs to be done. According to him, the first step is to understand FIFA’s expectations and start working toward them.
Begin the Planning Process Early
Ankrah believes Ghana should not wait until it feels fully prepared before discussing the possibility of hosting the tournament.
Instead, he says the country should begin conversations with international football authorities as early as possible.
He suggested that officials approach FIFA with humility and ask for guidance regarding the long term requirements for staging the competition.
“Let’s just ask them: ‘Charlie, we want to host the World Cup in Ghana in 20 years, in 10 years, in five years, or in 30 years. What do we need to start doing?'” Ankrah stated.
According to him, such discussions would provide Ghana with a clear roadmap that could guide planning over many years.
Rather than guessing what is required, he believes the country should seek direct advice from football’s governing body.
A Vision Built Over Decades
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah believes hosting a World Cup should be viewed as a long term national project rather than a short term ambition. He suggested that Ghana could work toward the goal over a period of between ten and thirty years.
Such a timeline would allow the country to improve infrastructure gradually while strengthening its sports administration and expanding investment in football facilities.
According to him, successful projects of this size require patience, consistency and commitment across different governments and football administrations.
He believes that by starting now, Ghana could steadily move closer to meeting FIFA’s demanding standards.
The important thing, he says, is to begin the journey rather than dismiss the idea before it even starts.
Co Hosting Could Increase Ghana’s Chances
One of the key ideas proposed by Ankrah is the possibility of co hosting the tournament with neighbouring countries.
He believes a regional partnership could make the project more realistic by allowing several nations to share responsibilities.
Many recent FIFA World Cups have demonstrated that co hosting is becoming increasingly common. The 2026 FIFA World Cup itself is being organised jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Inspired by that model, Ankrah believes West African countries could one day work together to submit a competitive bid. He explained his position clearly.
“Let’s be humble and start the process. When people say, ‘Oh, Ghana can never host the world cup,’ I disagree. We might be able to do it with our neighbors. We might be able to do it.”
His comments reflect optimism that regional cooperation could help overcome many of the financial and logistical challenges involved.
Major Challenges Still Exist
Although Ankrah remains optimistic, he also recognises that Ghana currently faces significant obstacles. Modern FIFA World Cups require enormous investment in stadiums, transportation systems, accommodation, security and communication infrastructure.
The tournament has become even more demanding following FIFA’s decision to expand the competition to forty eight teams.
With more participating nations, host countries must provide additional stadiums, training facilities, hotels and transport networks capable of supporting thousands of players, officials and supporters.
Meeting those standards would require years of careful preparation and substantial financial investment. Ankrah believes these realities should motivate Ghana to begin planning immediately rather than discourage the country.
Stadium Infrastructure Needs Improvement
Among the biggest concerns raised by the NSA Director-General is the current condition of Ghana’s sporting facilities. He pointed specifically to some of the country’s major stadiums, including the Accra Sports Stadium.
According to Ankrah, many of these venues require significant renovation before they can meet international expectations.
He described the situation by saying that Ghana’s premier stadiums remain in a “very terrible state.” Improving these facilities would be one of the first major steps toward preparing for any future World Cup bid.
Modern stadiums are among the most important requirements for hosting international football tournaments, and Ankrah believes addressing this issue should become a national priority.
Accountability and Sustainable Investment
Beyond infrastructure, Ankrah believes Ghana must also improve financial management within the sports sector. He has called for greater accountability regarding revenues generated from previous tournaments and sporting events.
According to him, understanding how past resources have been used is important for planning future investments.
He also believes the country should reduce its dependence on public funding by encouraging stronger private sector involvement.
Corporate investment, sponsorship and long term partnerships could provide the financial support needed to improve sports infrastructure across the country.
Such an approach, he argues, would create a more sustainable model for developing football facilities over many years.
Building Toward Future Competitions
While speaking about the possibility of hosting the World Cup, Ankrah also recognised the importance of focusing on nearer sporting objectives.
Ghana continues preparing for several continental competitions, including the 2027 Under 20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Successfully organising regional and continental tournaments can provide valuable experience in event management and infrastructure development.
Each competition offers opportunities to improve facilities, strengthen organisational capacity and demonstrate Ghana’s ability to host international events.
These experiences could eventually contribute to a stronger case if the country decides to pursue a future FIFA World Cup bid.
According to Ankrah, every successful tournament hosted by Ghana would represent another important step along that journey.
Dreaming Big While Planning Wisely
Yaw Ampofo Ankrah believes ambition should always be supported by careful planning. Rather than dismissing the idea of hosting the FIFA World Cup as unrealistic, he wants Ghana to begin preparing through practical steps that can be achieved over many years.
His proposal combines optimism with realism. He acknowledges the country’s current challenges while insisting they should not prevent long term thinking.
Instead, he believes Ghana should seek guidance from FIFA, improve its infrastructure, strengthen financial accountability and explore partnerships with neighbouring countries.
For Ankrah, the message is simple. Hosting the FIFA World Cup may not happen tomorrow, but if Ghana starts planning today, the dream could become a realistic possibility in the decades ahead.
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