Antonio helps young Ghanaians chase Premier League dreams

What the report says

Former West Ham and Nottingham Forest forward Michail Antonio is supporting a group of teenage players from Ghana’s Samba Stars academy as they spend time in England hoping to earn professional football opportunities. BBC Sport reports that the academy, based in Kumasi and building a new facility in Bompata, brought 20 players to the UK for a two-and-a-half-month spell of training and matches against EFL and non-league youth teams.

The visit has given the young players direct exposure to clubs and coaches, something that is uncommon for academies in west Africa. Several English clubs, including Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester City, Charlton, Preston, Barnsley and Peterborough, have already taken players on trial this summer, according to the report. Antonio said the aim of Samba Stars is to offer elite coaching and create a clearer path into the professional game.

The group initially faced visa setbacks, but most were eventually allowed into the country after re-evaluation. Since arriving, they have been based at Brook House College in Market Harborough and trained at Harborough Town in Leicestershire. The squad has also played a series of youth fixtures, including wins over teams from Dorking Wanderers, Sheffield Wednesday, Luton and Peterborough, plus draws with Sheffield United and Barnsley.

BBC Sport also highlighted the broader background for Ghanaian players chasing careers abroad, noting that a number of Ghana internationals are on Premier League books this season and that former academy player Listowell Lord Hinneh has already joined Middlesbrough. The report frames the Samba Stars trip as part of a wider effort to open routes for young Ghanaian talent into European football.