Roc Nation, owned by Jay Z, acquires two gifted Ghanaian teenagers in Africa takeover

As part of a significant effort to find African football talent, American rapper and business tycoon Jay-Z’sRocNation Sports International (RNSI) has signed two promising Ghanaian teenagers.

As RNSI grows its operations across six countries on the continent, it has signed eight young African players, including 17-year-old Joseph Narbi of Benab FC and 18-year-old Ali Umar of Koforidua Semper Fi.

Narbi attracted attention at the 2024 WAFU U17 tournament and has already drawn interest from Austrian powerhouse RB Salzburg and Denmark’s AC Horsens. According to reports, in March 2025, AC Horsens and the Kumasi-based team came to an agreement to sign Narbi.

Umar, meanwhile, has been causing a stir in Ghana’s Division One League, receiving calls to the country’s Under-17 and Under-20 squads.

Together, the two lead a varied group of new arrivals that also includes Neo Bohloko from Kaizer Chiefs and Siyabonga Mabena from Mamelodi Sundowns, two South African talents.

Along with players from Guinea, Gambia, and Zimbabwe, the roster also includes Ifeoluwa Adewale Olowoporoku, a Nigerian midfielder who recently tried out for Swedish team IFK Göteborg.

The growth of Rock Nation in Africa
RNSI’s head of global football recruitment, Nathan Campbell, gave ESPN an overview of the plan:

Our main tactic is to see if we can actually sign and collaborate with the top young talent in order to relocate them to Europe.

Can we truly examine the best talent in countries like South Africa, Zambia, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, [as well as Zimbabwe, Gambia, and Guinea] with the goal of relocating them to Europe? The ultimate aim is to place in the top five leagues.