In the heat of rural Leicestershire, Ghanaian academy Samba Stars are pursuing their ambition of helping young players secure professional football contracts in Europe.
Head coach Freddie Okyere has just completed a shooting exercise and gives the squad a chance to catch their breath. The teenagers have spent two and a half months in England with one clear objective: impressing clubs and earning contracts.
The academy is backed by former West Ham and Nottingham Forest forward Michail Antonio. Although scouts regularly visit West Africa, it is unusual for academies to bring players to the United Kingdom and place them 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.”
Samba Stars is based in Kumasi while a new facility is being developed in Bompata, just over 100 miles north of Ghana’s capital, Accra. The academy’s decision to take its players to England has already produced results, with Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester City, Charlton, Preston, Barnsley and Peterborough all offering players trials 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.”
Listowell Lord Hinneh’s path to Middlesbrough
Samba Stars also has a growing list of success stories. Midfielder Listowell Lord Hinneh joined Middlesbrough in February after a trial and has since trained with the first team after moving from West Africa to north-east England.
“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 the Samba Stars squad during their England trip and offered advice based on his own experience.
“[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.”
