As the capital of Ghana, Accra was the country's largest and most economically developed port city, like a dazzling pearl set along the Gulf of Guinea.
Perhaps because foreign clubs rarely visited Ghana, combined with the presence of Ghanaian rising star Michael Essien in New Manchester United's squad and the charitable nature of the event, the New Manchester United delegation received a warm welcome from local supporters and officials upon arriving in Accra.
In addition to New Manchester United, the charity tournament also featured Liberty Professionals, which Ethan had recently acquired in full. Melo served as the club's chief executive, and Ethan had already announced plans to improve Liberty Professionals' youth academy and acquire a stadium in Accra with a capacity of more than 30,000.
Ethan's ambitious plans greatly excited Melo. With Ethan's backing, the ambitions he had held for years finally had a chance to become reality. As a result, his enthusiasm for the job was extraordinary.
Melo had also contributed significantly to organising the charity tournament.
Besides New Manchester United and Liberty Professionals, the tournament included ASEC Mimosas from Côte d'Ivoire, the former club of Kolo Touré and Yaya Touré. They were highly renowned in African football and widely regarded as one of Côte d'Ivoire's finest talent factories. It was said that many members of the Ivorian national team had come through the club.
The other participant was Ajax Cape Town from South Africa. The club was Ajax's South African affiliate, with Ajax holding a 51% stake. It had originally been established to identify talented South African players for the Dutch club.
When Ethan, Mark, and Gardner discussed inviting these two clubs, they had not chosen them at random. Their backgrounds had been carefully considered.
ASEC Mimosas had considerable influence and an extensive scouting network across West Africa, while Ajax Cape Town could provide New Manchester United with useful experience. After all, Ajax had established a foothold in South Africa by acquiring a local club. Ethan believed their experience could help New Manchester United manage Liberty Professionals effectively.
Of course, Melo had his own plans for running Liberty Professionals, and Ethan considered them excellent. Melo understood the African football environment extremely well, with a depth of knowledge that outsiders could not match.
The three visiting clubs were all accommodated at the same hotel in Accra, but they were assigned different training locations. New Manchester United were given the use of a school pitch near the city.
While the team trained, Ethan, Melo, and Mark invited the chairmen of ASEC Mimosas and Ajax Cape Town to a meeting.
During the gathering, Ethan thanked both clubs for taking the time to participate in the charity tournament and promised that their appearance fees would be transferred in full to their respective bank accounts.
However, that was only the beginning.
Ethan then asked both clubs for advice on how New Manchester United should operate Liberty Professionals. Their representatives generously offered guidance and promised to provide assistance whenever possible.
Through the meeting, New Manchester United reached a preliminary agreement for friendly cooperation with ASEC Mimosas and Ajax Cape Town, which could play a role in the club's future development.
Of course, Ethan did not place too much importance on this in the short term. Most of Côte d'Ivoire's most promising young talents were already within his reach. As for the other talented players in the region, although many were capable, New Manchester United did not need to sign every one of them.
After bidding farewell to the representatives of the two clubs, Ethan also passed a friendly invitation to Ajax chairman Michael van Praag through the chairman of Ajax Cape Town, expressing his hope that they might have an opportunity to meet.
Van Praag was a highly influential figure in European football.
He was one of the driving forces behind the G14 organisation of elite European clubs and was also chairman of Ajax. He would later become president of the Royal Dutch Football Association and had an extensive network throughout Europe.
If Ethan could establish a friendship with someone like him, it would undoubtedly benefit New Manchester United's future development. In particular, if the club hoped to enter the circle of Europe's elite, it would need someone capable of opening the door.
After seeing off the representatives of the two clubs, Ethan had barely stepped out of the hotel's conference room when he received an invitation from the President of Ghana to visit the presidential palace.
"I didn't realise you were so popular!" Mark said with a chuckle.
Ethan shook his head and smiled wryly. He knew that all of this was due to his growing reputation.
Over the previous two years, Ethan's standing on Wall Street had risen steadily. The companies he had founded had all become leading names in the American technology sector. Some people had attempted to estimate his net worth, but they could only produce rough figures because several of his companies had not yet been listed, despite already being highly valued by Wall Street investors.
In addition, Ethan was a close friend of Apple's Steve Jobs and also a shareholder in the company. Jobs had mentioned Ethan several times in interviews, saying that if he had not been so obsessed with football, he might have become a technological genius comparable to Bill Gates.
With someone like that visiting Ghana, the government naturally had no intention of neglecting him.
...
President Kufuor's meeting with Ethan was arranged in the presidential palace's reception area for foreign dignitaries, demonstrating the importance they placed on his visit. Members of the Ghanaian Parliament and representatives from the Ministry of Finance were also present.
Seeing that the meeting had been arranged almost as though he were a foreign envoy, Ethan felt somewhat helpless, but he could only maintain an appropriately formal manner.
During the meeting, President Kufuor repeatedly asked whether Ethan had any plans to invest in Ghana.
Ethan did not give a clear answer, but he promised to continue his charitable work in the country over the coming years. He also said that he would use both his own influence and New Manchester United's platform to encourage more people to support charitable causes.
President Kufuor had clearly investigated the charitable work carried out in Ghana and elsewhere in Africa by the Red Rebels Foundation. After hearing Ethan's response, he expressed his full support and promised to provide as much assistance as possible.
During the meeting, Ethan also proposed turning the tournament organised by Liberty Professionals into an annual charity event. Several clubs would be invited to Accra each year, with all proceeds from the matches donated to charitable causes.
President Kufuor said he would give the proposal serious consideration. Regarding Ethan's plan to acquire a stadium, the government also made it clear that they would study the matter carefully and that approval should not present a major problem.
With a stadium and an improved youth academy, Ethan's investment in Liberty Professionals would not be excessive, since operating a football club in Ghana did not require enormous expenditure. According to Melo's plan, the club could become self-sufficient within two years.
That was exactly what Ethan hoped to see.
Even if not every player developed by Liberty Professionals would eventually be suitable for New Manchester United, owning a club in Africa would still bring considerable long-term benefits.
...
After leaving the presidential palace, Ethan specifically asked Melo to accompany him on an inspection of the stadium they were preparing to acquire.
He found that the ground was still relatively new, having reportedly been built only two or three years earlier, but it was currently unused. Its capacity was even larger than New Manchester United's City Ground, although its facilities were not as advanced.
Following the stadium disaster in Accra, Ethan placed particular importance on safety. He instructed Melo to ensure that the stadium's safety systems were thoroughly upgraded so supporters could watch matches without concern. He also insisted that known troublemakers be barred from entering the ground.
Melo strongly agreed. Only a safe stadium could attract more supporters to attend matches.
Ethan also made several recommendations regarding player recruitment for Liberty Professionals. He listed a number of future African stars he remembered from his previous life, presenting them as players identified by New Manchester United's scouting network, and asked Melo to locate them.
The list included Anthony Annan, who would later be described as the new Essien.
After inspecting the stadium, Ethan went to watch Liberty Professionals train.
Among the players, he found 20-year-old Kolo Touré and 18-year-old Yaya Touré. It was said that even their younger brother had joined the club.
This made Ethan wonder whether, with sufficient financial backing and his knowledge of future football, he could develop Liberty Professionals into a dominant force in African football.
If that happened, New Manchester United's influence would truly be spreading in every direction.
After leaving Liberty Professionals, Ethan returned to the hotel just as Mark and the team arrived back from training.
After discussing several matters, Ethan had dinner with the squad before returning to his room.
He was not particularly fond of nightlife, and they were in Ghana on official business. Ethan did not think seeking excitement there would be a wise decision. If he somehow became involved in a scandal like Martin Edwards, his reputation would be ruined.
The scandal involving Edwards was already notorious throughout British football. If Ethan became involved in something similar, the news would undoubtedly spread worldwide because he was now also a prominent figure online.
Whether the story was true or false would hardly matter. Once it appeared on the internet, people everywhere would hear about it.
With nothing else to do, Ethan invited Mark to join him and the players for a workout in the hotel gym.
...
On the afternoon of the third day after New Manchester United arrived in Accra, the charity match between New Manchester United and Liberty Professionals took place as scheduled at the stadium Liberty Professionals were preparing to purchase.
The match attracted more than 30,000 supporters, and President Kufuor attended in person. Before kickoff, he walked to the centre of the pitch and performed a brief ceremonial first kick.
With President Kufuor's kick, the charity tournament officially began.
(To be continued.)