Cape Verde’s fairytale run in the 2026 World Cup caught a lot of people by surprise – but not Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo.
The tiny island nation’s success encapsulated Africa’s record-breaking outing in the tournament – nine out of the 10 competing African nations advanced to the knockout stages with Morocco making the quarterfinals – catapulting the continent right among the best in world soccer.
“We played against them in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022. I remember coming off that game thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, this is one of the best African teams I’ve played.’ They were so, so good. So this wasn’t any news to us, but obviously to the world it was,” Semenyo said in a sit-down with CNN Sports during his club’s preseason tour at the Hong Kong Football Festival.
“It shows African football is evolving. It shows the world we’re competing at the highest levels. Long may it continue.”
The 26-year-old played every minute of Ghana’s 2026 World Cup campaign, which saw the Black Stars reach the Round of 32, highlighted by a 0-0 draw against England in the group stages.
Semenyo had already completed a prolific season in England’s Premier League, scoring 17 league goals to take over boyhood idol Tony Yeboah’s long-standing record for most scored by a Ghanaian in a single season.
“Tony Yeboah is a player I always looked up to. Asamoah Gyan too, (former Ivory Coast star) Didier Drogba, the names are endless,” Semenyo said.
“When they were playing in the Premier League, scoring every week, you wanted to the same thing as a young kid. To think I’m doing it now, I’m grateful to God. It’s a dream of mine to have kids looking up to me, following in my footsteps. It gives me more motivation to keep going.”
Rise to the top
Born in England to Ghanaian parents, Semenyo’s rise to soccer’s elite is unconventional. He faced countless early rejections, journeying through the country’s non-league system, before finally earning a move to then manager Pep Guardiola’s City from AFC Bournemouth in January. Semenyo often referred to himself as a “late bloomer” in the sport.
“When you don’t go through the normal (youth) academy route, playing through teams all the way to (Under) 18s, it’s very, very different,” he said.
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<time datetime=”2026-08-14T08:02:31.666Z”>Updated Aug 14, 2026, 4:02 AM ET</time>
<time datetime=”2026-08-14T08:02:31.666Z”>Published Aug 14, 2026, 4:02 AM ET</time>
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<div class=”timestamp__published vossi-timestamp_elevate__published”>PUBLISHED <time datetime=”2026-08-14T08:02:31.666Z”>Aug 14, 2026, 4:02 AM ET</time></div>
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Jordan Dawson is an artist who designs cleats for pro-athletes, including some that will be worn at this year’s World Cup – his designs range from anime to paintings which express the personalities of soccer’s biggest stars.
“When you go through the Sunday League route, it’s very unorthodox. Not many tactics, and you just have to learn on the go. When you join a professional environment, you just have to learn everything all at once.”
This coming season sees City with a new manager in Enzo Maresca, who has big shoes to fill given Guardiola’s immensely successful 10-season reign before stepping away in late May.
Maresca is known for his attention to detail and will be hoping Semenyo’s skillset on the pitch brings the club back to lifting domestic and European trophies.
“He’s been great so far,” Semenyo said of his new coach. “He’s joined with us very, very quickly, tactically. You can see it’s very similar with our last manager. It’s going to take some time to get used to, but everyone’s buying into it.
“You can see he’s driven and wants to win everything, like how we do as a team. He’s going to implement what he needs to, and we’ve still got experienced players from the seasons before. That will help lead us to hopefully victory in all the trophies this year.”
Love at the heart of it all
When asked about which parts of his Ghanaian heritage help him shine in top competitions for club and country, Semenyo said: “Strength, for sure. Pace. Excitement is another thing.
“All the Ghanaian fans are so excited when we play. All the tricks, flicks and goals. That’s what I like to think my traits are.
“And love. Love is all I get from Ghana. My mom and dad grew up there, so it’s a dream come true to say that I represent the nation.”
