On a training pitch in rural Leicestershire, a group of teenage footballers from Ghana are working hard to turn ambition into opportunity. The Samba Stars, an academy supported by former West Ham and Nottingham Forest striker Michail Antonio, have spent two and a half months in England hoping to catch the eye of professional clubs.
Unlike the usual scouting trips that see European clubs send representatives to West Africa, the Samba Stars reversed the process by bringing their players directly to England. It appears to be working: Bournemouth, Everton, Manchester City, Charlton, Preston, Barnsley and Peterborough have all given players trials this summer.
The academy is based in Kumasi while a new facility is being built in Bompata, north of the Ghanaian capital Accra. Antonio, who helped establish the project, praised the standard of the players involved.
"The talent the lads have is incredible," Antonio said. "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."
Head coach Freddie Okyere said the significance of the trip took time to sink in for his squad, but the sight of quality facilities and strong opposition sharpened their focus. "They want to go and show what they can do. They are hungry, they really want it," Okyere said, adding that he believes the academy could soon rank among the continent's best once the new Bompata base is complete.
While in England, the group has stayed at Brook House College in Market Harborough and trained with Harborough Town, a National League North club. Their results against academy and youth sides have been striking: a 9-0 win over Dorking Wanderers, victories against the under-21 sides of Sheffield Wednesday, Luton and Peterborough, draws with Sheffield United and Barnsley, and a narrow 3-2 loss to Preston's under-21s. Antonio was present to watch a 6-0 win over Peterborough's under-19s last month, and said the results proved his players belonged at a higher level.
The project has already produced a success story in midfielder Listowell Lord Hinneh, who joined Middlesbrough in February following a trial and has since trained with the first team. Hinneh, 18, described the emotional weight of the move. "When I came in January, it was so cold. Experiencing something like that for the first time was tough," he said. "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 met with the current Samba Stars squad to share advice, urging them to commit fully to their ambitions. Goalkeeper Joshua Tetteh Tuwor, 17, said the experience had opened his eyes to a different level of the game, while praising the coaching support the group has received.
Former West Ham head of recruitment Rob Newman, who has worked with the academy both in Ghana and in England, said he was optimistic clubs would take note. "Nothing will give me greater pleasure in six months [than] going to see these boys playing in a first team in Europe. I believe they are two or three months away from being able to do that," Newman said.
Not everything has run smoothly - 19 of the 20 travelling players initially had visa applications rejected before being admitted following a reassessment.
Ghana has reached five of the last six World Cups, and the current Premier League features six Ghanaian internationals, including Tottenham's Mohammed Kudus, who Hinneh cites as his biggest inspiration. Striker Sherif Mashud, who has trialled with Hungarian side Zalaegerszegi through his Samba Stars connection, spoke of the pressure that comes with representing family and community back home. "Everyone is praying for you," he said.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.