Agyemang’s journey began in Oda, Ghana, where both his parents were born. His father, a former semi-pro goalkeeper, and his sports-loving mother instilled a passion for the game early.
“We always played in the backyard,” he recalls in an exclusive interview with Flashscore. “Soccer was the main sport for us and it’s all I wanted to do.”
Despite describing himself as “not the biggest prospect” growing up, Agyemang often relied on familial support which became his anchor, especially during tough times.
“They never discouraged me," he says. "They’d say, ‘God got you. We got you.’ That kept me going.”
Agyemang’s route to the pros wasn’t linear. After starting at Division III Eastern Connecticut State University, he transferred to the University of Rhode Island (Division I), where he honed his skills while prioritizing education and earned a degree in health sciences (health promotion).
“Ghanaian parents tell you: education first,” he laughs. “I knew I’d get my degree no matter what.
“It was sometimes hard because I really wanted to just play and not do the work sometimes. But I knew that me having my degree makes things so much better for life after soccer as well."
The balancing act was gruelling as he had to constantly remind himself, “You’re a student first,” but it paid off. He graduated, learnt how to edit videos to build his own highlight reel, and began cold-calling agents to get noticed.
One took a chance, encouraging him to pitch to second teams of MLS clubs. He invested in himself and funded his flights and accommodation for a weeklong training stint with Columbus Crew and Nashville SC, a gamble that sharpened his game.
The leap of faith paid off. His performances earned an invite to the 2023 MLS College Showcase, a platform dominated by big-school prospects.
“No one really knew who I was because I was in the smaller school,” Agyemang admits.
But he turned anonymity into an advantage, playing with a chip on his shoulder. Charlotte FC noticed, calling him for an interview that changed everything.
“I kind of told myself, this is where I want to go. The way they (Charlotte FC) talked to me and encouraged me as a person not just a player, which for me said everything.”
Agyemang hoped that Charlotte would feel the same way but it was a draft system and uncertainty loomed.
Draft day was a nail-biting wait, and Agyemang endured with his family watching. His perseverance culminated in an emotional 2023 MLS SuperDraft.
After training with second-tier MLS teams and impressing at the league’s combine, Charlotte swapped their 2024 first-round pick and sweetened the pot with $100,000 in General Allocation Money to secure the 12th overall selection.
“I saw my name pop up, and it was surreal,” he says.
“My family was jumping, crying, and celebrating. I knew the real work was just starting. This is the real hard part to get to stay in the league and be one of the better players. But it was definitely a day I won't forget.”
His rookie year was a baptism by fire: adjusting to the MLS pace, bouncing between Charlotte’s first team and their developmental squad.
But a 10-goal outburst in 12 games for the reserves earned him a first-team recall - and his maiden MLS goal.
By the end of the 2023/24 MLS season, the 24-year-old had exploded with 10 goals and 3 assists, cementing his status as a breakout star.
“I’m just having so much fun. I'm so excited just to keep playing, and you never know what's going to happen. This year is a big year, I feel and I'm just excited for it,” he reveals.
Agyemang’s form didn’t go unnoticed and January 2025 brought a career-defining moment: a USMNT call-up.
He seized it, scoring twice in two friendlies - including a debut goal against Venezuela that made him the 60th American to score on his first cap.
“When the ball went in, I thought, ‘This isn’t real,’” he admits. “Five years ago, people laughed when I said I’d go pro. Now I’m scoring for my country. It was amazing and I just want more moments like that."
The Charlotte FC striker scored again in his second appearance for the national team in a 3-0 win over Costa Rica.
Invited to the USMNT January training camp for the first time, Agyemang was among seven forwards participating in the event in Florida. The camp has often served as a crucial opportunity for players to secure a place in the World Cup squad. Since 1999, 30 players who made either their debut or second appearance for Team USA during this January camp have gone on to be selected for the FIFA World Cup.
With the Mundial set to take place in the USA in over a year, the 24-year-old is hopeful he will be in the squad: “Growing up, you watch the World Cup every four years and dream of being there. That's probably one of the biggest stages you could play on. Of course, I want to play on the biggest stage.
“My main focus is doing everything I can to be the best version of myself on and off the field. I would love to be in the next World Cup. Next year my dream and goal would be to be a part of the group in the World Cup."
Nowadays, Mauricio Pochettino is the coach of the men’s national team for the US and Agyemang’s encounter with him during the January training camp was humbling.
“When I got there, I was so nervous," he remembers. "I was like, I don't know what kind of coach he's going to be. I watched him in the Champions League coaching Messi, Mbappe, Neymar, and PSG. It felt like a dream.”
“But right away, it felt natural. He told us we know how to play the game. He encouraged us to show our talents. He mentioned he will never coach us how to play but he will put us in positions to hopefully bring us success.
“He said: ‘Just go and have fun. Do what you know already and that’s to play, but, obviously, focus on your defensive duties. Focus on working hard, but going forward, have fun’.
“Even the little time he coached me for about two weeks or so, I feel like he trusted me. Like, I've been working on him for so long. It was a good feeling to have such a coach. The intensity of the training sessions were tough and it just made me feel like a better player than I was before.”
Agyemang admits Pochettino gave him a piece of advice that changed his perception of the game.
“Play the game the way you know how to play, like you were when you were a kid, and just enjoy it because your career seems so long, but it's so short. So why not enjoy it while you have it?” the striker reveals.
One of the perks of playing in the MLS for Agyemang is that he shares the pitch with his childhood idol Lionel Messi.
“In my first year, that was the first time I ever played against him and when he first got to the league, it was the biggest buzz and everything," the forward recalls.
We played in Miami and when I saw him on the field I told myself ‘God, I looked up to this guy and watched him all these years hoping for him to succeed and now my first time I meet him is when I play against him’.
“It was a crazy experience seeing him but now I’m more chill because I've seen him multiple times now. At first, it didn’t feel real that I was seeing Messi next to me. Not only him, like Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba, and Luis Suarez. These guys played at the highest level and won the biggest trophies. So it's crazy to say I’m also on the field with them. But sharing a pitch with him makes me feel like I’m doing well.”
Despite watching Messi throughout his childhood, Agyemang still appreciates strikers such as Asamoah Gyan because of how “he portrayed himself”.
“When it comes to my game I like to watch highlights of Thierry Henry and Didier Drogba because of the way they play the nine position. They were dominant and were able to drift around.”
“When it comes to the joy of the game, flair, and talent; Asamoah Gyan, he's right there. Because every game he scores a goal, you don't know what celebration he's going to do but it's going to be some dance. I love that because you don't see that too much in this game anymore.
“I think people miss him because of how he engaged everyone. People still do his celebrations, including me.”
Unlike Gyan, Agyemang though eligible to play for Ghana through his parents chose to represent the USMNT, a decision that he reveals was backed by his family.
“I grew up in a Ghana household and watched Black Stars games all the time," says the 6'3 striker. "I love the passion Asamoah Gyan always showed and growing up you’d love to be a part of that.
"I tried not to think about it too much, but when the USMNT call came, my family was the happiest thing ever.
“My family urged me to play wherever I feel comfortable and obviously I was born in the USA and live there. I was never around the Ghana national team or anything like that. So I never really was in contact with them."
Agyemang’s story is still being written, but one thing’s clear: whether representing Charlotte or the USMNT, he’s proof that passion and perseverance can turn backyard dreams into reality.
