At a bar in Worcester last week, scores of people from Ghana cheered, jumped onto bar stools and danced when their national team scored a dramatic last-minute goal to win its opening game in the World Cup.
Many more are expected to gather Tuesday in this former mill town to cheer on the Ghana team when it plays its second game against England at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
"The World Cup has brought all that euphoria — everybody being so happy," said Robert Adu, who recently returned from a deployment with the U.S. Navy. "I'm just happy that I'm home to watch the game."
The World Cup has spurred excitement in Worcester, a city that holds the largest population of foreign-born Ghanaians in the state, and one of the largest in the country. For regulars at Noamesco International Bar & Lounge, the tournament is more than just a soccer game — it's a celebration of a rich culture that's been growing in Worcester for decades.
"We hope to bring joy. We hope that all experience soccer, experience each other and shine — put Worcester on the map," Jermoh Kamara, president of the Massachusetts Organization of African Descendants, said at the event.
Central Massachusetts has one of the highest per capita concentrations of Ghanaians in the country, with nearly 4,900 Ghanaians in the city of Worcester and 6,120 in Worcester County, according to 2025 estimates put out by the U.S. Census American Community Survey.
Many local leaders in the Ghanaian community estimate that number as much larger, closer to 38,000, according to the Office of the Honorary Consulate from Ghana based in Worcester.
The first wave of Ghanaian immigration to Worcester began in the mid-to-late 1970s. That's when the African country was in the middle of political and economic instability and many young men fled to the United States looking for education and a place to build a future.
Esther Twumasi said she moved to Worcester a decade ago to join some of her family members.
"When you're traveling or going to a place, you want to go where you can find more of your people," she said. "The Worcester Ghanaian community is like family. It doesn't matter where you come from in Ghana. We call each other sisters, brothers and all that."
Today, Twumasi works for the Kwahuman Association of Massachusetts, a Worcester nonprofit that supports the state's Ghanaian community through social, economic and educational resources, as well helping those back in Ghana.
She said the opportunities in Massachusetts have allowed immigrants like herself to achieve things that would have been otherwise difficult.
"For somebody who has been here for 10 years, my children are here," Twumasi said. "If I go to Ghana, I feel like I'm visiting, and [Worcester] is my home."
Others in Worcester's African diaspora community echo the importance of finding existing networks of support.
Julius Kumah, owner of the Noamesco International Bar, said he moved to Worcester as a teenager nearly 30 years ago. He had trouble connecting with his new home until he found a community of fellow Ghanaians who played soccer.
"If it wasn't for America having soccer, I don't know how my life was going to be," he said.
Kumah eventually played collegiate soccer for Worcester State University. During the watch party last week, he stood by the door playing the role of security guard. But when Caleb Yirenkyi scored in the 95th minute to defeat Panama, Kumah got emotional.
"When the ball went in the net, that was just a blessing we were waiting for,'' he said. "The excitement, the energy, everything. It was great."
Kumah will be in Foxborough for Ghana's game against England, one of the top teams favored to win the World Cup. But Noamesco will remain open for locals to watch the game.
He complimented Ghana's performance against Panama, where the team dealt with inclement weather and missed one of their star players.
"I think Ghana has hope for Tuesday against England and we are excited and looking forward to it," he said.
He said his love for Ghana can't be replaced, but he's also proud to have called Worcester his home.
"At this moment, Worcester is going to be my first home. Until one day when I retire [and] I can go back and forth — Ghana, Worcester, Ghana, Worcester," he said. "But at this time, Worcester is my first home."
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