Lions' Ansah: NFL should play a game in Africa
Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah envisions the NFL expanding its international reach beyond London and Mexico City, where the league will return for one game this season.
The Ghanaian-born Ansah, whose Lions played in London in both 2014 and 2015, says he would like to see the league play a game on his native continent.
"I would love to see a game in Africa," Ansah told the Lions' official website. "That would be good, and I think there's a lot of potential back in Africa. I know that one day the NFL will have a game out there just like we do in London."
Soccer is the most popular sport in Ghana. The Black Stars, the national team's nickname, have qualified for the last three World Cups and managed a seventh-place finish in 2010 that included knocking out the United States in the Round of 16.
Ansah said American football is gaining popularity in Africa.
"I think now that there's a lot of Africans playing this game, I know the young guys coming up have been picking up on the game," Ansah said. “"When I went there I met a few guys that are eager to learn the game. It's evolving in Africa."
When asked where in Africa Ansah thinks the game should be played?
“I wouldn’t mind if they had it in Ghana."