UC Santa Barbara midfielder Manu Duah was selected No. 1 overall by San Diego FC in Friday’s 2025 MLS SuperDraft, making him the first draft pick in the expansion club’s history.
Duah, a native of Ghana, played one season for the Gauchos and helped them notch six clean sheets in his 14 matches. He had one assist but mainly projects as a stellar defensive midfielder.
“With Manu, it was very, very obvious that this is a player with tremendous potential. A player who’s already good but can improve a lot,” coach Mikey Varas told reporters in a virtual press conference. “He can be a player who dominates MLS in a few years.”…