David Accam hails Mansour-backed Right to Dream academy in Accra as â??game-changerâ??

David Accam has hailed the Mansour Group’s decision to build a new, world-class Right to Dream (RTD) Academy near Accra, calling it a game-changer for Ghanaian youth. 

The former Ghana international winger, himself a graduate of RTD, said the investment will elevate opportunities on and off the pitch for the next generation.

The project, welcomed by government, will replace RTD’s Old Akrade base with a modern campus designed to blend elite football development with strong academics.

Construction is slated to begin in early 2026, with all scholarships honoured and staff retained at a temporary Accra-area site until the new facility opens, potentially in 2027.

Accam’s endorsement comes as RTD expands its global footprint under the Mansour Group, which has poured more than US$180m into the network since 2021.

A breakout star who rose from RTD to European football with Helsingborg before Major League Soccer stints at Chicago Fire, Philadelphia Union and Nashville SC, Accam framed the new academy as the culmination of a journey he witnessed from inside the system. Introducing his reflections, he first recalled what it took to break through at the programme’s dawn.

“I was part of the first generation coming through the Right to Dream academy in Ghana. Though I am grateful for the opportunity that changed my life, I am also aware that the students and kids in the program today are benefiting from the progress the organisation has made over the years since I started,” said Accam, the former Ghana international, who is trained at the Right to Dream Academy.

He then set the upgrade in the context of RTD’s steady growth—more students, wider education pathways and a linked club network that now spans three continents through FC Nordsjaelland in Denmark and a new franchise in the United States. Having watched that arc up close, Accam said the Accra project feels like the logical next step.

“I watched it grow with more kids, more opportunities, an educational pathway, and the growing network of clubs and schools. And now the next step is ready to be taken with the commitment from the Mansour family to build a great new facility for the Right to Dream students and staff. It makes me happy and even more hopeful for the future.”

Founded in 1999, RTD’s model combines “books and boots”, giving talented boys and girls two credible pathways—professional football or scholarships to leading schools, particularly in the United States.

Alumni have reached senior national teams and top leagues, with recent Ghana internationals such as Mohammed Kudus, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Ernest Nuamah and Abdul Mumin highlighting the pipeline’s strength.

Accam said the benefits ripple far beyond the first team, stressing how RTD has seeded talent in the Black Stars and Black Queens while also creating careers in coaching and education.

“To see how Right to Dream has impacted our Black Stars and Queens, from where it started to where it is today, is mind-blowing, but not a surprise to me. I’m sure there’s more to come. And it’s not just about players.”

The next point he made was about leadership continuity and knowledge transfer—graduates returning to mentor the next class at academies and clubs across the RTD network. For Accam, that virtuous cycle is as valuable as any transfer fee.

“I see many of my former friends and brothers from the academy who today are coaches, both at the RTD academy but also in clubs and abroad. The future looks bright.”

Backed by the Mansour Group’s investment arm, Man Capital LLP, RTD has opened new academies in Cairo (2023) and San Diego (officially launched in 2025), with the Ghana build the third major project since the acquisition four years ago. The new Accra-area campus is planned to serve over 100 student-athletes with upgraded world-class classrooms, dormitories, pitches and performance infrastructure.

During construction, RTD says its 127 Ghana-based employees will be retained and scholarships fully honoured. Government has framed the project as a vote of confidence in Ghana’s talent base and a catalyst for public-private partnerships in youth development.

The Mansour Group says the initiative aligns with decades of investment in Ghanaian industry and skills training, including Mantrac’s long-running engineering programme.

For RTD, the upgraded home in Ghana will anchor a wider system of four academies and three professional clubs, strengthening player pathways to FC Nordsjaelland and beyond while safeguarding academic outcomes.

Accam’s message, ultimately, is that the new campus turns aspiration into infrastructure: a permanent platform that widens access, deepens education and keeps Ghana at the centre of RTD’s global map.

For a player who rode the RTD ladder from local promise to international football, the stakes are clear—this is about giving more children the chance to dream, and the tools to realise those dreams.

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