The much anticipated soccer academy reality show by Metro TV and MTN, the continent’s telecommunications giant, hit the road on Friday night with a colourful launch at the La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra. The show which is built around camping and developing 14 selected young footballers for 12 weeks, seeks to unearth Ghana’s next big football icon. All 14 finalists were presented to the media at the press launch. They include 20-year-old Alexander Osei of Saviour Real Madrid FC, Gomoa, and a student of Dard Professional Training Institute; Lloyd Ekow Brehum, 22, a third year student of the University of Ghana and with Prestige FC; Oscar Annor, 19, of Field masters FC who prefers to be called Sulley Muntari; and 17-year-old Samuel Quincy Quartey Jnr. alias Kaka of Tema FC. Others are Raphael Rasheed; also 17 years of Desert Warriors; 20-year-old Gideon Baah of Accra Polytechnic and Kaakyire FC; 19-year-old Jake Nii Adjei Ablorh of the Central University College and Great Mariners FC; Collins Akwesi Akowuah, 20, of Capital Sports and Mohammed Munir Zaid, 21, of Nanumba Nationals. The rest are Jonas Gyasi Baffoe, 19, of Great Sedaps; Ompong Kwane Oti, a 21-year-old student of Accra Poly who also responds to Eto’O; Michael Eduful, 19, of Rego International FC; Bismark Amponsah (Embah Power), a 21-year-old student of the University of Ghana; and 20-year-old Alex Owusu of O’Reilly Secondary School. Show managers say the academy would also inspire and motivate scores of Ghanaian youth with an interest and a talent in sports. Organisers said the 14 footballers, drawn from across the country were selected out of a field of 8,000 after rigorous skills, aptitude and personality tests over a seven week period. The lucky 14 are expected to move to their ‘camping’ house at Ridge -Accra by Saturday evening to begin tutelage under a strong team of coaches. The players are expected to undertake intense physical and skills training, mentoring, aptitude and personal development courses. “We are here to give the housemates nothing but the most comprehensive training session which would make them better fit for their chosen careers.” Ibrahim Sunday, Head of the academy technical team said. In partnership with leading football academies in Germany and the UK, the three month academy will also expose housemates to training sessions with some of the world’s leading premiership teams. Former Black Stars defence pillar, Anthony Baffoe, who consults for the academy on international business, said “I can only imagine what some of us could have become if we had this kind of mentorship and grooming at the start of the careers. With the international exposure we are lining up for these young ones, it can only be imagined what shall become of these young ones.” Coming ahead of the 2008 Africa Nation’s Cup to be hosted by Ghana, the academy is also expected to build up excitement and interest about local football in the days leading to the tournament by inspiring millions of young viewers across the country to take a keener interest in the sport. Lead sponsors of the academy, MTN, says its association with the project is only to show sustained commitment to its overwhelming interest in developing local sports.