Accam backs Mansour Group’s world-class RTD build: more kids, more pathways, stronger Ghana

David Accam has thrown his full support behind the Mansour Group’s plan to build a new, world-class Right to Dream (RTD) Academy near Accra, calling it a defining investment in Ghana’s next generation.

The former Black Stars winger and RTD alumnus said the project will elevate both football development and academic opportunity for boys and girls across the country.

Work on the multi-million-dollar campus is scheduled to begin in early 2026, with RTD maintaining all current scholarships and relocating temporarily within the Accra area until the new site opens—potentially as soon as 2027.

Government has welcomed the announcement, framing it as a boost to youth education, elite sport and jobs.

For Accam, who rose from RTD to Europe and Major League Soccer before returning to inspire from the sidelines, the new build is the natural next step in a story he knows intimately.

He began by recalling the early, lean years of the academy and how its growth has widened access and outcomes.

“I was part of the first generations coming through the Right to Dream academy in Ghana. Though I am grateful for the opportunity that changed my life, I am also aware, that the students and kids in the program today are benefitting from the progress the organization has made over the years since I started,” said Accam, the former Ghana international, who is trained at the Right to Dream Academy.

Accam said the Mansour family’s commitment gives RTD the platform to do even more—on the pitch and in the classroom.

“I watched it grow with more kids, more opportunities, educational pathway, and the growing network of clubs and schools. And now the next step is ready to be taken with the commitment from the Mansour family to build a great new facility for the Right to Dream students and staff. It makes me happy and even more hopeful for the future.”

Founded in 1999, RTD pairs full scholarships with elite coaching—the “books and boots” model that has produced professionals, scholars and national-team players in rising numbers.

Since RTD was acquired in 2021 by Man Capital, the investment arm of the Mansour Group, the global network has expanded to four academies and three professional clubs across three continents, including FC Nordsjælland in Denmark.

New academies opened in Cairo (2023) and San Diego (2025), while the group has committed more than US$180m to RTD globally—over €15m in Ghana alone—covering facilities, scholarships, staffing and pathways.

RTD says nearly 100 student-athletes will study and train at the new Ghana campus, supported by the academy’s 127 local employees who will retain their positions during construction.

The Accra build will consolidate classrooms, dormitories, pitches and performance labs on one modern site.

Officials say the move will tighten connections across RTD’s network, giving Ghanaian students direct and wider, structured pathways to higher education and professional football at home and abroad.

Accam, who grew from RTD prospect to European breakthrough with Helsingborg and later impressed in MLS with Chicago Fire and Philadelphia Union, linked the academy’s success to its growing impact on the Black Stars and Black Queens.

“To see how Right to Dream has impacted our Black Stars and Queens, from where it started to where it is today, is mind-blowing, but not a surprise to me. I’m sure there’s more to come. And it’s not just about players.”

He said the academy now produces leaders on and off the pitch—another reason the new facility matters.

“I see many of my former friends and brothers from the academy who today are coaches – both at the RTD academy but also in clubs and abroad. The future looks bright.”

The Mansour Group, chaired by Sir Mohamed Mansour, has deepened its long-standing footprint in Ghana, pairing RTD’s educational mission with wider investments and training programmes through companies such as Mantrac and Mansour Autos.

The Sports Ministry has endorsed the academy plan as a “vote of confidence” in Ghana’s youth, promising an enabling environment for grassroots identification, structured development and global opportunities.

For Accam, the equation is simple: world-class infrastructure plus a proven model equals more life-changing outcomes for Ghanaian children.

With the academy’s scholarships protected, staff retained and a new campus on the way, he believes the next wave of RTD graduates will dream bigger and go further—on the field, in lecture halls and, ultimately, for Ghana.