In 2015, the lights of Yankee Stadium shone bright on a football team ready to tell New York City who they were.
Though the shadow of legends like Frank Lampard, David Villa, and Andrea Pirlo loomed large over the Five Boroughs, a new hero emerged.
He wasn’t supposed to be the story. Yet, for a brief and brilliant moment, Kwadwo Poku was the story.
Poku’s journey to New York was storybook. Born in Kumasi, the second-largest city in Ghana, he arrived stateside with ambition in his heart and fire in his boots.
He spent time in the NPSL with the Georgia Revolution, and it was there that former U.S. international Eric Wynalda saw him, recognized his potential, and gave him a shot with the Atlanta Silverbacks of the NASL.
“He could change a game just like that,” Wynalda said at the time. “There aren’t very many Pokus for a reason.”
New York City FC saw that potential too, and took a calculated risk—a story of promise nestled neatly between the headlines of World Cup winners arriving in the Five Boroughs.
“It was one of the biggest moments in my life,” Poku said of signing with New York City FC. “In 2010, I was still in Ghana, watching the World Cup, watching David Villa play—and five years down the line, I was sharing the same locker room as him.
“Everything was different. The city, the players. I was playing in Atlanta with the Silverbacks, and then suddenly, I was sharing the field with world-class players. But one thing—credit to all those big names, even Andoni Iraola: they never made you feel like you weren’t part of it or that they were bigger than the team. That helped every young player that was there.”
In 2015, Poku made 28 appearances, scoring six goals and recording six assists. But the numbers didn’t tell the story. Poku was energy. He was a current that could change the course of a game when the switch was flipped. Every City fan can point to a Poku moment they loved—but for so many, it was about the momentum he created.
“The first moment Poku stepped on the pitch, the energy shifted,” said Trey Fillmore, one half of the Blue Balls NYCFC Podcast. “What made it so startling was that he wasn’t supposed to be the main attraction. There were already three megastars, but his creativity, engine, and that extra bit of magic made it impossible to look away.”
It was a similar story for those playing alongside him.
“I just remember guys coming up to me after the game from other teams and being like, ‘It’s just impossible to get him off the ball,’” said former teammate Josh Saunders. “He had so much stability and strength, and no one really knew who he was.”
In full flight, Poku was a joy to watch. His galloping runs didn’t just advance the ball—they shifted the entire momentum. That spontaneity made him unique in MLS, earning him a spot on the league’s 24 Under 24 list, which recognizes its most promising young talents.
“He had this ability to get the ball near our 18-yard line from the center backs, beat four guys, and go on an 80-yard run,” said teammate Chris Wingert. “He’d either set himself up or set someone else up. He was the perfect guy to come off the bench when guys were a little tired—he could totally change the game.”
“He could just glide by guys and shrug them off. He was one of the most impressive players in the league. A complete difference maker.”
Often deployed as an advanced midfielder, Poku was given the freedom to roam, improvise, and link midfield to attack. In a game built on structure, Poku offered chaos—often unleashed when legs were tired and a spark was needed.
“I think most of the time I was brought into the game as a sub was when we were really in need,” Poku said. “Usually, that meant we were either tied or losing the game. That’s what the coaches were giving me: that instruction—like, man, go do your thing. Find a space, attack this space, force them to defend. Make them defend.”
Those qualities—along with who he was off the field—won him many friends in the locker room.
“He wasn’t just a good player—he was a great man,” Saunders added. “He always had a smile on his face. He was always enjoyable to be around. For me, the measure of a player is how they treat people off the field—and he was one of the best.”
Despite his popularity, Poku’s time with NYCFC was brief. In the summer of 2016, he was sold to Miami FC in the NASL for a reported $750,000—a significant fee at the time.
“I get that question a lot—‘Why did you leave New York?’ From teammates—even players I played against,” he said. “I still feel like I had a lot to offer New York—like I never finished my assignment there. I wasn’t done. But I understand the game will take you to different places—it’s part of it.”
The game would later take Poku to Russia and Gibraltar, and then back to the United States. Now living in Nashville, Tennessee, he serves as player-coach for Beaman United in the UPSL and runs his own youth academy. He plays. He coaches. But most importantly, he gives back.
“When I first came to this country, the one thing I didn’t have was someone to mentor me,” he said. “When I wasn’t playing, I felt like that’s what I could give back to the little kids coming up.
“I want them to understand the mindset of being at that level—the training, the commitment, the dedication. They don’t see that side of it. I try to help the kids understand that it’s talent, it’s hard work, and it’s dedication. That’s what I’m trying to give back to the city with the academy and training.”
In March 2025, Poku returned to Yankee Stadium for the club’s home opener. The fans remembered. He posed for photos. He signed autographs. He reminisced about his time in the Big Apple.
“I miss it,” Poku said of the club. “When I came to Yankee Stadium for the home opener, I felt it. RJ Allen asked me, ‘Poku, if they give you a kit right now, how many minutes would you give them?’” [laughs]
That night at Yankee Stadium was, in part, a chance to celebrate the wild, fleeting stretch Poku spent with New York City FC.
Because Poku wasn’t just a player. He was a flash of brilliance—a jolt of electricity in a time of growing pains and new beginnings.
A reminder that soccer is unpredictable, capable of turning on a dime and carrying you somewhere unexpected.
The game is defined by moments.
And Poku, without question, was one of them.
