With just a week remaining until the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Rhode Island is preparing for the arrival of the Ghanaian men’s soccer team on Friday. The Black Stars will be staying in Providence and training at Bryant University in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
What does Rhode Island have planned to celebrate Ghanaian culture during the tournament? Ocean State Media morning host Luis Hernandez spoke with Janelle Amoako and Leslie Bediako of the Road to World Cup committee from the Ghana Association of Rhode Island to find out.
Interview highlights
On local events being held to celebrate the Ghanaian team in Rhode Island
Janelle Amoako: This upcoming Friday, we’ve actually partnered with the city of Providence to hold a big team welcome celebration event for them, and that’s going to be happening right in downtown. It’s going to start off at Track 15, which is actually our Ghana hub and home for the World Cup, and will be the site for all of our watch parties. So we’re inviting everybody to come there. We do have a nice presentation, thankfully, to Track 15. They’ve been so kind enough to allow us to use the space to really show elements of our culture. So we want people to be able to come out for that. And then from there we’re actually heading right over to Biltmore Park, where there’ll be some vendors and also a city hall flag raising and formal welcome for the mayor, governor and other people. So it’s going to be a lot of fun.
Leslie Bediako: One event I’m really looking forward to is our Ghana community and culture day (on June 20th). It’s going to be a great opportunity to introduce Rhode Island to a taste of Ghana with our food, our music, our cultural wear, the activities that we’re into. You know, the Ghanaians have been in Rhode Island for decades, dare I say centuries. I’m really happy this is happening, so there’s visibility on the presence of Ghanaians in Rhode Island.
On the opportunity for Rhode Islanders to learn about Ghanaian culture
Amoako: So we’re really excited to show different elements of our culture. For example, we have specific dancing that is done, and it’s kind of, almost a ceremonial dance that we do only for special occasions. We have already started the process of having those type(s) of official dances be performed and having people being able to witness that. There’s also very specific garb, and there’s some story around what they do in the performance. So engaging the community around that and what that language means. For example, as I mentioned with Track 15, because they’ve allowed us to utilize their space for our Ghana hub there, we actually have some pieces that we’re bringing to the space that speak to different culinary tools that we use, different aspects of our history and our culture. So that will be another way to,again, expose people to parts of our home.
It’s super exciting to just celebrate culture in general, right? It just gets you in this space of, what are all the different pieces that we bring into the mix in Rhode Island? Rhode Island is a pretty special place. It’s a small state, but yet we have that ability to know so many people just because of the nature of it being that small. And look at the fact that we have such a wealth of culture that we can learn from. We have a large Cape Verdean population. We have other groups of people that are just as interested and excited about this. And so I think this is an opportunity for us to have so much unity. That’s a beautiful thing that can come out of this, as well.
On the excitement of Ghanaians in Rhode Island on the eve of the World Cup
Amoako: I have my jersey ready. I mean, my house is complete Ghana decor. Like, we are committed. We are all in. We want them to go as far as possible, of course. So I think the excitement is there.
Bediako: I am just trying to keep anxiety at bay. And I think Ghana (versus) Panama, I think we’re going to do well. I’m praying, too. I don’t have any rituals. I’m not superstitious like that. But I am a prayer, so I am praying for the Black Stars to just start off the tournament very well. I think the game that we’re super anxious about is Ghana versus England. That’s maybe that’s when the rituals will kick in, you know?
