Antonio helps young Ghanaians chase Premier League dreams

In the scenic countryside of rural Leicestershire, the Samba Stars, a Ghanaian football academy backed by former West Ham and Nottingham Forest forward Michail Antonio, are striving to achieve their dream. For two and a half months, the teenagers have been in England, with the ultimate goal of impressing clubs and earning contracts.

While scouts do visit Ghana, it is rare for academies to travel to the UK to put their players directly in front of professional clubs, as the talent within the Samba Stars is exceptional, according to Antonio. The academy, based in Kumasi while building a new facility in Bompata, has already secured trials with various professional clubs such as Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester City, Charlton, Preston, Barnsley, and Peterborough.

Head coach Freddie Okyere expressed his excitement about the academy's progress, noting that the first two or three weeks were a blur for the players, but they eventually saw the facilities and teams they would be playing against. This motivated them to push forward in their pursuit of professional football careers in Europe. Okyere believes that the academy can become one of the top two or three academies in Ghana and hopes to bring the best of Ghana's talent to Europe.

One success story from the academy is midfielder Listowell Lord Hinneh, who joined Middlesbrough in February after a successful trial. Hinneh, who met with the Samba Stars squad during their trip, emphasized the importance of passion and hard work in achieving success in football. Just before the start of the English season, six Ghanaian footballers were already on Premier League books, including Mohammed Kudus at Tottenham, Ibrahim Osman at Brighton, and Brandon Thomas-Asante and Caleb Yirenkyi at Coventry.