Michail Antonio-Backed Ghana Academy Places Teenagers on Trial With English Clubs

Teenagers from Ghana's Samba Stars Academy have earned trial opportunities with seven English clubs during a two-and-a-half-month visit designed to put them in front of professional scouts. BBC Sport reported that Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester City, Charlton Athletic, Preston North End, Barnsley and Peterborough United have each assessed players from the group.

The academy, based in Kumasi and backed by former West Ham and Nottingham Forest forward Michail Antonio, brought a 20-player squad to England. The players stayed at Brook House College in Market Harborough and trained at Harborough Town, whose senior side competes in National League North. All but one member of the travelling party initially had a visa application rejected before the decisions were reconsidered and the group was admitted.

Samba Stars played youth teams from English Football League and non-league clubs throughout the trip. According to BBC Sport, the academy opened with a 9-0 victory over Dorking Wanderers and also defeated under-21 teams from Sheffield Wednesday, Luton Town and Peterborough. It drew with Sheffield United and Barnsley, while a 3-2 loss to Preston's under-21 side was its only defeat. Antonio attended a 6-0 win over Peterborough's under-19 team.

The project has already produced a move into English football. Midfielder Listowell Lord Hinneh joined Middlesbrough in February after a trial and has since trained with the first team. The 18-year-old met the visiting squad during its stay and spoke to the players about the demands of pursuing a professional career away from Ghana.

Former West Ham recruitment chief and Manchester City international scouting manager Rob Newman has also worked with the academy. He visited its Ghana operation earlier in 2026 and helped coach the squad in Leicestershire. Samba Stars currently operates from Kumasi while developing a new facility at Bompata, more than 100 miles north of Accra.

Antonio said the academy was created to provide elite coaching and clearer routes into professional football for young Ghanaian players. The forward pointed to the team's results in England as evidence that members of the squad can compete at professional level. The club trials now offer the clearest measure of whether the summer visit will lead to further contracts.