Antoine Semenyo – Ghana
Semenyo’s route was not straightforward, with early rejections before Bristol City gave him his break. Loans at Bath City, Newport County and Sunderland helped shape him, then Bournemouth turned him into a Premier League threat before Manchester City paid a reported £64 million for him in 2026.
You have to cast your mind back to 2018/19 for his Sincil Bank appearance. He was on loan at Newport County, a play-off chasing team, when they visited for a 3-2 defeat one cold winter afternoon just before Christmas. He’s come a long way since.
He made his Ghana debut in 2022 and went to that year’s World Cup in Qatar, appearing from the bench against Portugal and Uruguay. He has since become a regular Black Stars option, with goals in friendlies, AFCON qualification and 2026 World Cup qualifying.
Ghana begin against Panama in Toronto on June 17, but the real spotlight comes six days later, when they face England in Boston. Croatia in Philadelphia rounds off a difficult Group L.
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