Ghana restaurant owner fires warning to England
The owner of the only Ghanaian restaurant in Boston has warned England that his country will beat them in the World Cup. Will Yakah, 30, co-owner of RedRed, said: “England may have Declan Rice but we’ve got jollof rice.” The Manchester United fanatic invited Three Lions supporters to his fast food restaurant for a beer and traditional Ghanaian food. He said: “We’ve been looking forward to this for months. Ghana has never lost the second group match of any World Cup tournament we have ever played in! Watch out England – we’re going to win.”
Restaurant serves up traditional dishes
RedRed, located in Nubian Square in the Roxbury suburb, serves jollof rice, waakye, kelewele (spicy fried plantain), and puff puff. The area features murals honoring civil rights heroes like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King. Yakah, who moved to the US 12 years ago from Accra, co-owns the restaurant that has been open for three years.
Match stakes high for both teams
England and Ghana play at Boston stadium in Foxborough on Tuesday evening. Both sides won their opening matches, so the winner secures a place in the knockout stages. Yakah noted the strong Premier League links in the Ghana squad, including Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo, Tottenham’s Mohammed Kudus, and Andre Ayew, who played for Nottingham Forest and West Ham. He also highlighted new coach Carlos Queiroz, formerly Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United.
Fanfest stand and local Ghanaian community
Yakah operates a stand inside the FIFA Fanfest in central Boston but can only serve food there, as FIFA controls drink sales. A beer costs £10 at the Fanfest compared to £7 at his restaurant, a 10-minute journey away. The town of Worcester, just outside Boston, is home to the second-largest Ghanaian population in the United States.
