Samba Stars: Michail Antonio helps Ghanaian academy chase Premier League dreams

In the heat of rural Leicestershire, the Samba Stars are chasing their dream.

Head coach Freddie Okyere has just finished a shooting exercise and allows the squad to catch their breath.

The teenagers from the Ghanaian academy, which is backed by former West Ham and Nottingham Forest forward Michail Antonio, have spent two and a half months in England with one goal - impressing clubs and earning a contract.

While scouts do visit west Africa, it is rare for academies to travel to the UK to put their players directly in front of professional clubs.

"The talent the lads have is incredible," said Antonio.

"We created Samba Stars Academy to give young players in Ghana access to elite coaching, shape them as players and create real avenues into the pro game and show how much talent Ghana has."

Based in Kumasi while building a new facility in Bompata, just over 100 miles north of Ghana's capital Accra, the Samba Stars' tactic has paid off.

Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester City, Charlton, Preston, Barnsley and Peterborough have all taken players on trial this summer.

"The first two or three weeks it hadn't sunk in, but then they saw the facilities we'd be [using] and the teams we were playing," said Okyere.

"They want to go and show what they can do. They are hungry, they really want it. I'm hoping there will be so much interest because we have so much talent here.

"With the facilities we will have in Ghana we feel we will be top two, top three [academies]. We hope we can bring the best of Ghana to Europe."

There are other success stories, with midfielder Listowell Lord Hinneh joining Middlesbrough in February after a trial. , external

The 18-year-old has trained with the first team after swapping west Africa for England's north east.

"When I came in January, it was so cold. Experiencing something like that for the first time was tough," he told BBC Sport.

"Moving was a big milestone. It just makes me feel the dreams I've been having, thinking of trying to find myself in Europe to become a professional footballer.

"I feel the kind of dreams that I want, I'm on the verge. I'm on the way [to] becoming who I wanted to become."

Hinneh - whose sister Groovy lives in Leeds - met with the Samba Stars squad on their trip, offering advice.

"[I told them] what you've been dreaming about the future, it starts from here," he said.

"Don't just try, be so passionate. You need to play and enjoy it because you can have the success in whatever you're doing. You have to just put your heart in it."

'I'm seeing a different side of professional football'

All but one of the 20-strong visiting group initially had their visa application denied before eventually being admitted after re-evaluation.

Since arriving in the UK, they have been hosted by Brook House College in Market Harborough and trained at Harborough Town, who play in the National League North.

"The football [here] is very detailed," said 17-year-old goalkeeper Joshua Tetteh Tuwor.

"In Ghana we have the same passion but I'm seeing a different side of professional football.

"We are grateful to have such opportunities to train with elite coaches."

Rob Newman, formerly West Ham's head of recruitment and Manchester City's international scouting and recruitment manager, spent time with the academy in Ghana earlier this year and has helped coach them in Harborough.

"Hopefully clubs can see the potential," said the ex-Bristol City and Norwich defender.

"Nothing will give me greater pleasure in six months [than] going to see these boys playing in a first team in Europe. I believe they are two or three months away from being able to do that."

The Stars have played a series of games against youth teams from the EFL and non-league.

They started with a 9-0 thumping of Dorking Wanderers and also beat Under-21 sides from Sheffield Wednesday, Luton and Peterborough.

There were draws at Sheffield United and Barnsley while their only defeat came 3-2 against Preston's U21s.

Antonio watched them thrash Peterborough U19s 6-0 last month.

"You can see from what they've done since they've been in the UK - the results against top teams - that they have what it takes to play pro level," said the 36-year-old.

"It's great to help knock down barriers and give these lads a real chance."

'Back home everyone is depending on you'

Ghana have reached five of the past six Fifa World Cups - having never qualified before 2006 - and made the quarter-finals in 2010.

At this year's tournament, where they exited in the last-32 against Colombia, eight members of the squad were born overseas.

The Black Stars may not have come to rely heavily on diaspora talent, unlike some other African nations, yet the Ghana Football Association has made noises about widening its global search - something which could potentially impact home-grown talent.

"You have to have a tough mentality," said Sherif Mashud, an 18-year-old striker who has already had a trial with Hungarian top-tier side Zalaegerszegi thanks to his involvement with Samba Stars.

"Back home everyone is depending on you, everyone is looking up to you to succeed, to come and help them, your friends, your family. Everyone is praying for you."

The new English season has begun with six Ghana internationals on Premier League books: Mohammed Kudus at Tottenham, Antoine Semenyo with Manchester City, Brighton's Ibrahim Osman, Ipswich's new signing Abdul Fatawu and Coventry's Brandon Thomas-Asante and Caleb Yirenkyi.

The first to play in the English top flight was striker Nii Lamptey when he joined Aston Villa in 1994, while midfielder Michael Essien has made the most appearances, winning two titles with Chelsea.

Only two other Ghanaians have lifted the Premier League trophy - Jeffrey Schlupp and Daniel Amartey when Leicester stunned the world in 2015-16.

"Back home we've got people you grew up with and you might miss them, but that doesn't kill the dreams I'm here for," said Hinneh, who lists Kudus as his biggest inspiration and hopes to follow his heroes into the top flight after Boro missed out on promotion in last season's Championship play-off final.

"I'm trying to figure out what the reality is, what the future holds for me and then just chase the dreams."