UCSB Soccer adds Dunn High School star Manu Duah

UC SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - The UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer team has added a fourth member of its incoming freshman class, signing midfielder Manu Duah, who starred for Santa Barbara Soccer Club.

"Manu would be considered one of the top 10 recruits in the country, if not probably the best player from the '24 class," UC Santa Barbara Head Coach Tim Vom Steeg said. "He has all the components of a great college player and beyond: size, athleticism, great feet, really smart. He is a player that can make an immediate impact when he steps on the field."

Duah is a native of Ghana but spent his high school career in the United States at Dunn School in Los Olivos, where he played under UC Santa Barbara soccer alumnus Sahid Conteh and earned All-CIF Southern Section honors. He also joined Santa Barbara Soccer Club and made an immediate impact, helping them reach the MLS NEXT National Finals, the pinnacle Major League Soccer's youth development league. Prior to his arrival stateside, Duah attended New Life Academy in Accra, Ghana.

At UC Santa Barbara, Duah will join a talented corps of Gaucho midfielders including Mikkel Goeling, a 2023 All-Big West First Teamer who, like Duah, boasts a combination of size, athleticism and playmaking abilities. Santa Barbara will look for Duah and Goeling to help fill the gap left by the graduation of Lucas Gonzalez, who was the Gauchos' top creative midfielder last season.

Duah and Santa Barbara will host a pair of pre-season exhibition matches before opening their season at home against Missouri State on Aug. 22. The Gauchos' first on-field action will be an intrasquad scrimmage on Aug. 10, followed by a friendly match against San Diego State on Aug. 17. Single-game and season tickets are on sale now at ucsbgauchos.com/tickets.

(Article courtesy of UCSB Athletics)