Kurt Okraku (M) with US officials
The Second Vice-President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and President of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Kurt Edwin Simeon-Okraku, has held high-level talks with officials of the United States Chamber of Commerce as Ghana intensifies preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be staged in North America.
The meeting, which took place in Washington, D.C., brought President Simeon-Okraku together with Rick C. Wade, Senior Vice President for Strategic Alliances and Outreach at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and Dr. Guevera Yao, Vice President of the U.S.–Africa Business Center.
Discussions centred on areas of shared interest and explored opportunities for collaboration in the lead-up to the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The engagement forms part of a wider strategy by the GFA President to forge strong international partnerships that will support Ghana’s World Cup campaign both on and off the field.
Key focus areas included institutional cooperation, commercial partnerships, fan engagement, logistics, and the use of the World Cup platform to enhance Ghana’s economic and cultural presence in North America.
During his visit to the United States, Mr. Okraku also met with several key stakeholders. Prior to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce engagement, he held discussions with Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Emmanuel Smith and his team, as well as officials from the State of Maryland.
Ghana has been drawn in Group L of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where the Black Stars will begin their campaign against Panama in Toronto, take on England in Boston, and wrap up the group stage with a match against Croatia in Philadelphia.