West Ham United forward Michail Antonio was given a warm welcome by members of the Ghanaian Hammers supporters’ group after he touched down in Accra on Sunday evening.
The 34-year-old is in Ghana to visit the Bompata-based Samba Stars Academy, an elite football set-up dedicated to nurturing and developing world-class talent, where he will engage with young players and pass on some of his invaluable knowledge and know-how.
Between landing in the capital city and heading off to the West African Centre of Excellence, Antonio posed for photos with several excited West Ham fans, who gifted him a custom-made scarf.
Ghanaian Hammers President Issahaku Abdul-Mumen said: “It was amazing to meet our all-time Premier League top scorer, who we consider to be a West Ham legend.
“I met him and then showed him over to the group of Hammers fans, who were waiting for him, and then we sang and cheered together. It’s his first visit to Ghana, and he was really pleased with the reception. As the song goes, it just shows that West Ham are massive, everywhere we go!”
Michail Antonio 🇯🇲 touches down in Ghana 🇬🇭. He will pay a visit to his football academy, Samba Stars, in Kumasi.#JoySports pic.twitter.com/PmlXFMtg5p
— #JoySports (@JoySportsGH) November 10, 2024
The Samba Stars Academy project aims to unearth the next generation of Ghanaian football stars, following in the footsteps of Antonio’s West Ham teammate Mohammed Kudus.
And with three players having been snapped up by English clubs, including Chelsea, since the establishment of the academy, Antonio is encouraged by the level of talent on show in the region.
Speaking to Ghanaian media, he said: “It’s an inspiration for me to be able to give opportunities to players over here. There’s a huge talent pool here, and we want to be able to give them that chance to make it in the UK or in other countries.
“There are so many talented players from Ghana, and you see that with the likes of Mo [Kudus]. Three of our players have already signed for big teams - one for Chelsea and two for Middlesbrough.
“We’ve got them playing in tournaments, and we bring scouts from all over the world to take a look at the players. We’re going to do what we can to help as many players make it as possible.”
Following his visit to Ghana, Antonio will link up with the Jamaica national team squad for two crucial CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final clashes against the USA, with the first leg set to kick off in Kingston at 1am GMT on Friday 15 November.
To find out more about the Ghanaian Hammers, click HERE.
