Egyptian-owned company, Man Capital LLP, has become the majority shareholder in the Right to Dream Academy following a significant investment in the Ghanaian outfit, a joint statement from the two parties has revealed.
UK-based Man Capital LLP, which is the investment arm of the Mansour Group, a family-owned global conglomerate, takes the controlling shares of the Academy through Man Sports, described in the statement as “a new entity established for the partnership.”
Under the new deal, the Founder and Chairman of Man Capital, Mohamed Mansour becomes the new Chairman of the Right To Dream Board and his son, Loutfy Mansour, who is currently the CEO of Man Capital, takes a place on the Board as well.
Founder of Right to Dream, Tom Vernon retains a significant stake in the academy and will stay on as its CEO, the statement added.
The company hopes to emulate the academy’s successes in Egypt where they plan to launch a new Right To Dream Academy for both boys and girls in West Cairo.
Pro-women’s teams will also be formed in the two countries with the creation of the Ghanaian-based side set to take place within the next five years.
The partnership will also see to the expansion of the academy in Ghana in terms of its “intake of players, both boys and girls, to develop more talent in Ghana” and to enable “more Ghanaian coaches to be trained at Right to Dream.”
The exploration of UK opportunities at club and academy level is also an aspiration of the Right To Dream’s new owners.
The new Board Chair at Right to Dream and the founder of Man Capital, Mr Mohamed Mansour, said he was delighted with the partnership which showed their commitment to supporting communities across the continent.
“I could not be prouder to be investing in and partnering with Tom and his team at Right To Dream, who are inspirational for the life-changing work they undertake with talented boys and girls across Africa, Europe and the Americas.
“We have long taken a close interest in the work they are doing and are delighted to be announcing our partnership today. Not only are we a family of football fans, indeed my uncle Mostafa Kamel Mansour even represented Egypt in the 1934 World Cup, but we are committed to supporting communities across Africa, through our foundations and other philanthropic activities.”
CEO, Tom Vernon said he was hopeful that the deal would help take Right to Dream to the next level.
“For 20 years Right to Dream has been using football as a platform for social change, bringing life-changing opportunities through sport and education for children and their communities.
“This partnership helps Right to Dream move into the next stage of its global expansion, putting people and purpose at the center of football. With the support of the Mansour family, we are creating a new standard of purpose-driven sports for clubs and players and building the leaders of tomorrow.
“Ghana is where our academy journey started and where my heart lies, so to be able to invest in expanding our presence and impact in the country is a huge honour. The Right To Dream academy has helped to develop some of the best youth players in Ghana and is proof that there is a different way to develop elite athletes with strong education paths through purpose-driven football.
“Our expansion into Egypt and Europe is further evidence that Ghana can export its football values and culture not just its players.”
Other significant changes include the appointment of Eddie Mensah as the new MD of the academy in Ghana and Mohammed Wasfy as the MD of the new academy to be launched in Egypt.
