MLS Draft Interview: Manu Duah, San Diego FC

With the first overall pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, expansion side San Diego FC selected Manu Duah, a midfielder out of UC Santa Barbara.

Duah became the first Gaucho to be the first name off the board in any sports draft ever. That in itself is an incredible accomplishment, one that Duah does not take for granted.

"That means a lot to me," Duah said of the feat. "It's a dream come true and I never thought I was going to be the overall number one pick, but with God all things are possible. And, I was very excited to be honest."

In 2024, Duah started all 14 of the games he played in his freshman year. The young talent is a 6-foot-4 midfielder, a sight that is rather rare to see across the sport. The reason being, No. 6's and 8's need to have quick lateral movement to cover as much ground as possible, but Duah's height does not limit that aspect of his game.

When watching Duah's film, his unique skill is impossible to miss. He has an innate ability to prance through the midfield on the ball. His long strides make it nearly impossible to take the ball off of him and he can slide east to west with ease. A central midfielder of his size and mobility is nearly unheard of, leaving San Diego no choice with their top pick. Duah compares his game to one of the best ever at the position.

"I will say if they enjoy Sergio Busquets' game, then they will enjoy my game," Duah said. "I am more athletic than him, but my strongest aspect of my game is controlling the tempo of games and covering a lot of ground. But my game is just like Busquets."

The journey to the professional ranks are different for every college player that makes the leap. In Duah's case, his journey began in his hometown of Kumasi, Ghana. He arrived in America and attended Dunn School in Los Olivos, Calif., for high school. He says that the always difficult transition to a brand-new country was made easier by the school.

"My biggest obstacle was how to adapt to my new environment," Duah said. "Adjusting to the food and the language too. My English wasn’t that good when I came. But Dunn School made it easier for me, since there were a lot of international students who were also in the same bolt with me. So, we learned from each other and helped each other out."

Nothing about the MLS SuperDraft is a sure thing. Some third-rounders or even undrafted players have turned into fixtures in the league, while top overall picks have burnt out in record time. Duah knows that the work is just beginning and there are so many lessons to learn ahead of San Diego's inaugural season and beyond.

"I know this team is going to be very good, so to me I am very excited to get started," Duah said. "And I am also excited to learn more from the coaches and the players too."

Players like Cyle Larin and Jack Harrison, who now play in the top five leagues in the world, were No. 1 overall picks in the draft. On the other side of the coin are players like Robbie Robinson and Abu Danladi that just have not exactly worked out in MLS. Manu Duah is looking to follow the legacy of the best top selections in SuperDraft history. With his prototype, natural talent and mentality, Duah has a really good chance of doing just that.