Antoine Semenyo believes Ghana can “do Special Things” at 2026 World Cup

Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has expressed strong confidence in the Black Stars ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the team is ready to prove itself among the world’s elite nations. The Manchester City attacker reflected on his incredible football journey, Ghana’s painful recent disappointments and the country’s determination to make history in North America. Semenyo’s rise to the top has been one of football’s most inspiring stories. The 26-year-old once considered giving up football completely after unsuccessful trials with several English academies including Arsenal, Chelsea, To

Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo has expressed strong confidence in the Black Stars ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the team is ready to prove itself among the world’s elite nations. The Manchester City attacker reflected on his incredible football journey, Ghana’s painful recent disappointments and the country’s determination to make history in North America. Semenyo’s rise to the top has been one of football’s most inspiring stories. The 26-year-old once considered giving up football completely after unsuccessful trials with several English academies including Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham and Crystal Palace. After failing to secure a contract at the age of 15, Semenyo stepped away from football for an entire year. “I was very frustrated that I wasn’t signed by any of the teams,” he admitted. “I just ended up giving it up and focusing on school.” However, his career changed after former Leeds United coach Dave Hockaday convinced him to give football another chance. Semenyo impressed during college friendlies before earning a move to Bristol City in 2017. Loan spells at Bath City, Newport County and Sunderland followed before he exploded onto the scene with Bristol City, eventually earning a call-up to represent Ghana in 2022. Despite being born and raised in England, Semenyo said representing Ghana was never a difficult decision because of his strong family connection to the country. “My mum and dad are Ghana through and through,” he explained. “Watching Ghana at the World Cup with my family was always special. Everyone would gather together, celebrating and screaming during the games.” Just months after making his international debut, Semenyo found himself representing Ghana at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Although the Black Stars were eliminated in the group stage, the tournament became an important learning experience for the striker. “It was very surreal,” he said. “But now I want to prove that we are a top nation. Since that World Cup, I feel mentally stronger, healthier and more experienced.” Semenyo’s career has continued to rise rapidly since moving to Bournemouth in 2023 before completing a big-money transfer to Manchester City earlier this year. The Ghanaian has already become a key figure for Pep Guardiola’s side and recently scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final, further cementing his reputation as one of Africa’s top attacking talents. Looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup, Semenyo believes Ghana has the quality to surprise many people despite recent setbacks, including failing to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. “We were very frustrated,” he admitted. “But we’re not just going to the World Cup to participate — we want to compete on every level.” Ghana have been drawn alongside England in Group L, setting up an emotional clash for Semenyo against the country where he was born. However, the forward says the match will simply motivate him even more. “I want to show that we are a top nation,” he declared. “We can compete with the best teams and beat top countries.” Semenyo also recalled Ghana’s memorable World Cup moments, including the heartbreaking 2010 quarter-final defeat against Uruguay and the impressive performance against Germany in the same tournament. “We’ve always shown we can compete,” he said. “Now we want to write our own story.” The striker believes the unity within the squad, the support of the Ghanaian people and the attacking quality in the team could help the Black Stars achieve something historic in 2026. “We’ve got a lot of attacking talent and killer instincts,” Semenyo said. “Defensively we’re solid too. We work together as a team.” While careful not to make bold predictions, Semenyo admitted the squad believes it can go far in the tournament. “For me personally, getting through the group stage would be a start,” he said. “I feel like we can go on and do special things.”