Manchester City: Antoine Semenyo's rise to prominence
Original public source text. It may contain French even on an English source page. This is not a reviewed English translation. Recovered images and media appear below when available.
Image unavailable.
All original articlesJust ten years ago, Antoine Semenyo was driving home in his father’s car in tears, after yet another refusal by a club in London. Saturday at Wembley, he scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final under the colors of Manchester City against Chelsea (1-0). There is no shortage of revenge in the history of football. This one is particularly beautiful for the Ghanaian, who has established himself as one of the best players in England for several months.
He almost stopped everything.
Having failed to convince Arsenal, Tottenham, Fulham and Millwall to sign him, it was the rejection of Crystal Palace that dealt the young Antoine Semenyo the fatal blow. At 15, he was done with football forever. Or so he thought.
"I remember getting in the car crying and telling my father, 'Why is this still happening?"
A whole year away from football followed. No academy, no training, just a 15-year-old trying to turn the page on his dream.
What brought him back to the field was an almost fortuitous encounter. His uncle heard of an essay organised by Dave Hockaday, a former manager of Leeds United who ran the football programme at South Gloucestershire and Stroud College.
"I thought, what have I got to lose?" Semenyo told me. «I hadn’t played for a year, I was a bit overweight, I wasn’t in shape. But I went, and that’s where my story begins. The try went so well. I think I scored in every game."
From zero to hero
In 2017, Semenyo joined Bristol City Academy and signed his first professional contract in January 2018 before being sent on loan to Bath City, Newport. The path of muddy fields, night buses and half-empty stadiums. Not Wembley. Not yet.
These years forged it differently. Dean Holden, who coached him to Bristol City, confided that not attending a Premier League academy from an early age was ultimately beneficial: "In big training centers, you can lose certain qualities. Antoine is different. He went through the small door. He was able to progress freely.”
After playing all the seasons in the Championship, he had a great time in the English first division with Bournemouth. Then, in January 2026, Manchester City secured his services for £64 million, offering him a five and a half year contract. From 10 million in Bournemouth to 64 million in City: a return on investment of 540% in three years.
His departure from Bournemouth? A last gift worthy of a movie. On 7 January 2026, his 26th birthday, with the rumors of a transfer to City swelling, Semenyo scored a last-minute goal against Tottenham, a 3-2 that ended eleven games without a win for Bournemouth. Marking his birthday, in his last match, to save his team: the most beautiful of all time.
Wembley, the apotheosis
This Saturday, in the 72nd minute of the FA Cup final, back to goal and closely marked by Levi Colwill, Semenyo was not favorite to find the net. Yet he made a gesture of great class, sliding the ball perfectly in the opposite corner, out of reach of Robert Sanchez. A magnificent Madjer, one of the most beautiful goals of the season in England, offering at the same time the title to Manchester City.
Named man of the match, he savored the moment with a humility that has stuck to his skin since the beginning. "It seems unreal. I had never competed for trophies like that before, it’s all new to me. It took a long time to get here, but I am grateful for that. What happens at 15 or 16 doesn’t mean the journey is over.”