Africa's football dreamers

May 31, 2026 · 53 min

About this episode

The episode explores the journey of young Ghanaians aspiring to become professional footballers through the Right to Dream academy.

Football is an obsession for many Ghanaians and a route to fame and fortune for a talented few – and it can be a gruelling journey for the children dreaming of stardom in the world’s top leagues. Against this backdrop, the country’s Right to Dream football academy aims to provide a safe passage to international game. Unusually, the school owns a number of top-tier clubs in Denmark, Egypt and the USA, which can act as stepping stones to the world’s top leagues, a path that stars such as Tottenham’s Mohamed Kudus and Atalanta’s Kamaldeen Sulemana have taken. But while as many as 50,000 children try out for the school, just a handful win scholarships every year. Justice Baidoo meets the talented dreamers who hope to become the next generation of African superstars, from 10-year-olds attending their first trials in rural villages, right through to those taking their first steps as pro footballers in Europe.

People in this episode

Host: Justice Baidoo

Topics covered

football
youth development
sports academy
African talent
professional sports
Ghana

Keywords

football
Ghana
Right to Dream
youth football
professional players
Mohamed Kudus
Kamaldeen Sulemana
sports academy

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Right to Dream football academy

Places: Ghana, Denmark, Egypt, USA