West Ham United striker Michail Antonio has arrived in Ghana for the first time to support the Samba Football Academy.
The 34-year-old landed at Kotoka International Airport on Sunday, November 10, where the Ghanaian Hammers, a local group of West Ham fans, welcomed him.
During his stay, Antonio plans to visit Bompata in Kumasi to inspect the academy project he’s been helping develop.
He’ll engage with players at the Samba Stars Academy, providing mentorship and guidance to young talents, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“I’ve come here to do my work. We’ve started an academy here in Kumasi, Bompata,” he told the media.
“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 added that the ‘great pool’ of talent inspired him to invest in Ghana. “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 continued.
“You see the talent with Mo [Kudus] and so many other players moving. It’s just an inspiration for me to be able to give that opportunity to players here.”
Antonio plans to stay in Ghana for a few more days before heading to Jamaica for the international break.