Thomas Agyepong is one of the most sought after Under 17 player in the

country, having captained the national Under 17 team at the 2013 Africa

Under 17 Championship in Morocco



Not only is he regarded as a good footballer, but also possesses the right

charisma to lead the national team.



He belongs to an elite group of players who have captained the Ghana

national Under 17 team, otherwise known as the Black Starlets.



That list includes Ghana’s captain at the 1991 FIFA Under 17 World Cup,

Alex Opoku, Emmanuel Bentil, who led Ghana to win the 1995 FIFA World Cup

in Ecuador and Godwin Attram 2007 Black Starlets captain.



After leading the Black Starlets at the 2013 African Under 17 Championship

in Morocco, Agyepong has now turned his attention on the upcoming Gothia

Cup.



“Our number one priority is to go there and win and also to play good

football. We will carry ourselves well to let everybody know that it is not

only football we learn to play but we have character training also.



“The African game is more physical, but this one would be a different game

with different clubs from different countries involved.



“The African Championship was much more competitive and we had to deal with

high expectations from the country. But this would be a development focused

competition for us.”



Right to Dream Academy is set to achieve another milestone when the U-18’s

take part in theprestigious Gothia Cup for the first time from 16th July to

21st July.



“It’s good because we have heard about this competition from some of RtD’s

graduates who have schooled in the United Kingdom,” Thomas Agyepong said.



“Thomas Boakye and Bismark Kwarteng who schooled at Hartbury College in the

UK told me it is a very good tournament to participate in. It’s a very good

competition for a young footballer and also helps to develop your talent.”



The U-18’s, who are coached by Umar Kenya, have been preparing for the

tournament by playing several friendly matches on campus since the term

began in April.



They wrapped up their preparations for the tournament, posting a 1:0

victory over the Ghana Police



team who are also preparing for the Security Services Games.



“We are really prepared. We have played so many games and won many. We (the

players) have played with each other for a long time and we have been

together at the Academy for years.”



RtD has a huge reputation for producing some of the best players in Africa

in the past few years. The



Academy has had the most successful African U15 football team in recent

years, by achieving four top 8 finishes in the World Finals of the

Manchester United Premier Cup.



“We will be under some pressure because this will be our debut appearance

at the tournament and also because we want to win it despite it being our

first time.



“We believe in our abilities and the coaches know what we can do. The

tournament will only be part of our development process.”



Agyepong’s character best epitomizes what Right to Dream Academy stands

for. The non- profit organisation offers opportunities to talented

underprivileged children from across Ghana and Africa to become role models

through education, football and character development.