Michail Antonio visits Ghana to support Samba Football Academy

West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has arrived in Ghana for the first time to support the Samba Football Academy, an initiative he is actively involved in.

The 34-year-old touched down at Kotoka International Airport on Sunday, November 10, to begin his short visit.

He was warmly received by the Ghanaian Hammers, a fan group of West Ham United based in Ghana.

Antonio’s visit will include a trip to Bompata in Kumasi, where he will inspect the ongoing football academy project and meet with the players.

The academy focuses on providing opportunities for aspiring footballers from underprivileged backgrounds.

In an interview upon his arrival, Antonio shared his excitement about the project: “We’ve started an academy here in Kumasi, Bompata.

We know about all the talent here; we’ve seen Mo [Kudus] is at the club (West Ham) right now. We just want to give the boys over here the opportunity to break through to the Premier League.”

Antonio also emphasized the inspiring pool of talent in Ghana, which motivated him to invest in the country.

“It’s just obviously the talent in the pool that Ghana has and to give the motherland the opportunity to get their players or family over to the UK or worldwide playing football,” he said.

Antonio mentioned that the success of players like Mohamed Kudus, who now plays for West Ham, was a major inspiration for his involvement in the academy.

Since its establishment, the Samba Football Academy has already had success, with three players being signed by English clubs, including Chelsea.

Antonio will spend the next few days in Ghana before traveling to Jamaica for the international break.