Kekuta Manneh facts for kids
Manneh in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 December 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Bakau, The Gambia | ||
| Height | 1.75 m | ||
| Playing position | Winger, forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2011 | Texas Rush | ||
| 2011–2012 | Lonestar SC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2009–2010 | Steve Biko | 12 | (17) |
| 2012 | Austin Aztex | 12 | (10) |
| 2013–2017 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | 101 | (22) |
| 2017 | Columbus Crew | 19 | (4) |
| 2018 | Pachuca | 1 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | St. Gallen | 7 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | FC Cincinnati | 29 | (4) |
| 2020 | New England Revolution | 6 | (1) |
| 2021 | Austin FC | 16 | (0) |
| 2022 | San Antonio FC | 0 | (0) |
| 2023 | Pacific FC | 19 | (2) |
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Kekuta Manneh (born on December 30, 1994) is a professional soccer player. He plays as a winger, which is a player who mostly runs along the sides of the field. In 2016, he became an American citizen. He has been asked to join the United States national team before, but he hasn't played in a game for them yet.
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Kekuta Manneh's Soccer Journey
Kekuta Manneh's soccer career started when he was young. He played for many different teams and academies.
Starting Young: Youth and Amateur Teams
Manneh began his soccer journey in The Gambia, his home country. He played for youth academies like Gilcock Academy. Later, he joined the GFA League First Division, which is the top soccer league in Gambia.
In 2010, Manneh moved to the United States. He played for youth clubs in Texas, including Texas Rush and Lonestar Soccer Club. These clubs are part of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. Manneh was a great scorer, getting 35 goals in 23 games for the Rush in 2010.
His amazing performance earned him a spot on the 2010 Disney's Soccer Showcase All-Star Team. He even got to train for a week with the famous Chelsea F.C. academy in England! For Lonestar SC, he scored 21 goals in 16 games.
In 2011, a scout from Arsenal, another big English club, watched him play. After his successful time with Lonestar, Manneh joined the Austin Aztex. This team played in the Premier Development League, a league for young players. He scored 10 goals in 12 games, including an impressive 4 goals in one match!
Becoming a Professional Soccer Player
Before moving to the U.S. in 2010, Manneh played for Steve Biko Football Club in Gambia. He helped his team finish second in the league in 2009 by scoring 17 goals in just 12 games. Even though he had chances to join other top clubs in Gambia, he decided to move to the United States.
In 2012, there were reports that Manneh was trying out for the Major League Soccer champions, the Los Angeles Galaxy. He also trained with the Colorado Rapids and other clubs in England and Germany.
Joining Major League Soccer (MLS)
In January 2013, Manneh signed a special contract called a Generation Adidas contract with Major League Soccer. This allowed him to join the 2013 MLS SuperDraft, where MLS teams pick new players. A week later, Vancouver Whitecaps FC chose him as the fourth overall pick. Vancouver even traded with another team to get an earlier pick just to draft Manneh!
Manneh quickly showed his skills. He scored two goals for the Whitecaps in a preseason game. On March 3, 2013, he played his first league game for the Whitecaps.
First Goals and Achievements
Manneh scored his first professional goal on April 27, 2013, in a game against FC Dallas. He came into the game as a substitute and scored a goal just 18 minutes later. Three minutes after that, he made a fantastic run past three defenders to help his teammate Camilo score. Manneh's goal and assist earned him the "man of the match" award.
On October 9, 2013, Manneh scored his first professional hat-trick (three goals in one game) in a 4–1 win against Seattle Sounders FC. At 18 years and 283 days old, he became the youngest player ever to score an MLS hat-trick! In the next game, he scored another amazing goal from outside the penalty box.
Because of his great performances, big English clubs like Chelsea, Arsenal, and Liverpool were reportedly interested in signing him.
Moving to New Teams
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On March 30, 2017, Manneh was traded to Columbus Crew SC. After his contract ended with Columbus, he decided to try playing overseas in Germany.
On December 26, 2017, Manneh joined the Mexican team Pachuca. However, he only played one league game for them. In June 2018, he moved to Swiss Super League club FC St. Gallen in Switzerland.
On February 13, 2019, Manneh returned to the United States. He joined FC Cincinnati for their first season in MLS. He scored his first goal for Cincinnati on March 24, 2019.
On August 17, 2020, Manneh was traded to the New England Revolution. He scored his first goal for them on October 14, 2020.
Manneh returned to Austin, Texas, on January 22, 2021, signing with Austin FC for their first MLS season. After the 2021 season, his contract with Austin was not renewed.
On February 7, 2022, Manneh signed with USL Championship club San Antonio FC. Then, on April 3, 2023, he joined Canadian Premier League team Pacific FC for their 2023 season. He left the team after one season.
Playing for His Country: International Career
Manneh's strong play for Steve Biko FC led to him being called up for Gambia's Under-20 national team in 2011. He was supposed to play in the 2011 African Youth Championship.
In March 2014, he was asked to join the Gambia Under-20 squad again, but he couldn't because of an injury. Manneh has said he wants to play for the United States national team after becoming a U.S. citizen. He was called up to the United States squad in January 2017 and again in March 2018, but he has not yet played in a game for the team.
Kekuta Manneh's Personal Life
Manneh became a U.S. citizen in 2016. While playing for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, which is based in Canada, he lived in Point Roberts, Washington. This helped him meet the requirements to become a U.S. citizen.
Manneh is a Muslim and has observed Ramadan, a special month for Muslims.
Awards and Honors
- PDL Southern Conference All-Conference Team: 2012
- Canadian Championship: 2015
See also
In Spanish: Kekuta Manneh para niños
