Football is a globalized sport and it is not so difficult to find foreign players in a football team. Many clubs from Europe have key players from South America or Africa, for example.
It is not different in Oceania where we can find some players from these continents having success in the region like Uruguayan Martin Bueno and Nigerian Sanni Issa.
While some foreign players shine in Oceania, some others are fighting for space in the continent like Oscar Anto. Born in Kintampo, Ghana, the 17-year-old forward was playing in a football academy in Accra – the capital of his homeland – before moving to Samoa to play for Lupe o le Soaga in 2019.
He was part of Lupe’s squad for 2020 OFC Champions League but he missed the tournament due to Visa problems.
Oscar is currently playing in the youth team as youth football leagues from Samoa resumed on last Saturday – "I am working hard to prove myself to receive the opportunity to play in another countries," he revealed.
The young forward is also part of Lupe’s senior squad, but he is playing for the youth team at the moment because the Senior National League has not started yet.
Anto is not the first player from Africa in Samoa. Currently playing for Suva in Fiji, Jibola Afonja and Michael Oyesanya from Nigeria also had a stint there while Ken Kerewi – who is also from Nigeria – played two OFC Champions League for Samoan clubs.
Oscar is very young and he still has a lot to learn. If he takes the right decisions he will have the chance to play in bigger football leagues from Oceania.
Source: Oceania Football Center