Antoine Semenyo
Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo says Cape Verde’s impressive run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup came as no surprise to him, having already witnessed the quality of the island nation during the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations.
Cape Verde emerged as one of the tournament’s surprise packages, while Africa enjoyed a historic campaign, with nine of the continent’s 10 representatives reaching the knockout stages.
Semenyo, who played every minute of Ghana’s World Cup campaign, believes the performances demonstrate the rapid growth of African football.
The 26-year-old recalled facing Cape Verde at AFCON 2022 and said he immediately recognised their quality.
“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.’”
He added that African teams are now proving they can compete with the world’s best.
Semenyo also enjoyed a landmark Premier League season, scoring 17 goals and surpassing Tony Yeboah’s long-standing record for the most goals by a Ghanaian in a single Premier League season.
The achievement carries special meaning for the forward, who grew up admiring Yeboah, Asamoah Gyan and Didier Drogba.
Semenyo’s own journey to the top has been unconventional. Born in England to Ghanaian parents, he came through the non-league system rather than a traditional academy before eventually earning his move from Bournemouth to Manchester City.
Now adapting to life under new City boss Enzo Maresca, Semenyo believes the squad has fully embraced the manager’s philosophy and is targeting success across all competitions.
“We’ve still got experienced players from the seasons before. That will help lead us to hopefully victory in all the trophies this year,” he said.