Antoine Semenyo heads to second World Cup after rise shaped by rejection

LONDON: Antoine Semenyo is preparing for a second World Cup with Ghana as an established Premier League attacker after a rapid rise that followed a difficult path marked by repeated setbacks.

The 26-year-old, now with Manchester City, is expected to have an important role in a Ghana side under new coach Carlos Queiroz after the Black Stars missed out on qualification for the most recent Africa Cup of Nations. His standing has changed sharply since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where he played only 19 minutes across two substitute appearances during Ghana's group-stage exit.

Just over a month after that tournament, Semenyo moved up to the Premier League when Bournemouth signed him from Bristol City. After three years at Bournemouth, Manchester City activated his release clause in January in a deal worth £65 million, seeing off interest from Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham.

He made an immediate impression at City and scored the winner in the FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley earlier this month with a back-flick that sealed a 1-0 victory. The moment carried added significance because Semenyo was born close to Chelsea's Stamford Bridge stadium in west London.

Commitment to Ghana

Although he was born and raised in England, Semenyo said representing Ghana was never in doubt. Speaking to FIFA, he said his family background shaped that decision from the start.

My mum and dad are Ghana through (and through). They never really mentioned anything about England.

He added:

Obviously, living in England, you get the conversation of: 'Oh, you should represent England'. But it was never a conversation I ever had, really. Ghana came in when I was 19, 20, so I was never going to turn it down.

Setbacks early in his career

Semenyo's progress came after a period in which he was turned away by Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace and Millwall. Those disappointments led him to step away from football for a year and consider another career.

Football remained close to his family. His father, Larry, played in Ghana's top division alongside former Leeds striker Tony Yeboah, while his younger brother Jai is with Ligue 1 club Lorient. Semenyo later returned through a youth academy programme in south-west England and eventually moved into the professional game while studying sports science.

Wanting to remain in the same region, he chose Bristol City and signed his first professional contract shortly after turning 18. Even then, his route was not straightforward, with the club sending him on several loan spells before he established himself in the first team.

He made his Ghana debut in June 2022 and later secured his Premier League move, developing into one of the division's most effective wide forwards under Andoni Iraola. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola believes he still has room to improve.

Reflecting on his rise, Semenyo said he had not expected to reach this level.

It's surreal to be honest. I speak to my friends about it all the time. I didn't think I would ever make it this far.

I thought just being a professional was enough – signing for Bristol City was enough for me. So, to say that I'm going to (another) World Cup... yeah, it's amazing.

He has also said the setbacks he experienced helped shape his approach to the game. In comments to Sky Sports last year, Semenyo said:

It's my mentality now. I have to be resilient. I have to work harder than the next person. I've always had that, my whole life. It gives me that extra grit, that extra bite.