From his smile and his carefree demeanor, you’d never know what it took for Manu Duah to get to where he is today with San Diego FC. But ask anyone who has been a part of the 21-year-old center back’s journey, and they will tell you that’s just who he is.
“I wouldn't change anything, not a single thing,” Duah said about his pathway.
“They are all good memories for me. Some were not that good, but I feel like those were learning moments for me, which I learned from it and kind of brought me all the way here.”
Duah grew up in Kumasi, Ghana, with two older brothers and a younger sister. His father always loved football, which helped Duah also find joy in the sport from an early age. He credits his late father for pushing him to continue to develop his game and always encouraging him to do better.
“I felt like that actually kept me going a lot,” Duah recalled.
When his father passed away, Duah had to drop out of school for financial reasons, but an opportunity at the New Life Academy allowed him to pursue his love for football and return to school.
“My mom couldn't afford to pay for all the kids to go to school. So, I had to drop out from school and, then New Life came into it, Duah said. “They scouted me and they took me back to school again.”
For Duah, that also meant moving away from his family for the first time, as he pursued his dreams in Accra, Ghana.
It was there where he honed in on his football skills, but it also opened the doors for an opportunity for Duah to continue his education and athletic journey in the United States. The Academy had a connection with The Dunn School, a private, coeducational boarding and day school for grades 6–12, in Los Olivos, California. Students from the Right to Dream Academy have also attended the Dunn School.
At 16 years old, Duah enrolled at the Dunn School; however, his journey to the U.S. was not easy. There was a delay in his Visa process, and Duah had to complete online coursework in Ghana so he would not fall behind in the curriculum. Although Duah had seen some of the older kids from the academy unable to get a Visa, he was determined to make it happen for himself, and he did.
“He came here after having to spend a whole year navigating the visa process. And a lot of people don't know that that kind of thing can break a kid down,” said Dunn’s Head of School Kalyan Balaven. “Navigating all those things, while being a student, with everything going on in the world is a lot. But he did that with a smile.”
When he left home for the second time in his life, Duah was just 16 years old in a brand-new country where English was not his first language. His very first experience in the U.S. was even navigating someone mistaking his suitcase for their own.
Waiting for him at LAX was Dunn School’s Dean of Students, Kelsey Sullivan, who became Duah’s U.S. legal guardian. Sullivan was a classmate of students from Right to Dream when she was a student herself at the Dunn School in 2004. She ended up volunteering at the Right to Dream Ghana Academy in 2010 and has now spent over a decade helping support international students at the Dunn School in her current role.
“When I got here, she (Sullivan) was the one who picked me up,” Duah remembered. “I didn't have like, a host family because I came late. So, she kind of hosted me for a while.”
“So, I was like, really, really close with her,” he said.
Sullivan, along with Balaven, became a support system for Duah in school as he navigated the new culture and challenges. The Dunn School offers a whole-student educational philosophy with a focus on project-based learning, entrepreneurship, and global character education. It was there that Duah was put on the fast track for college. Due to all his online work, he had put himself in a position to graduate early. To do so, though, he needed to take one additional credit that didn’t fit in his schedule.
“What does he do? He does the work, right? Nobody sees that struggle. So those are the qualities I think will make him successful in whatever he wants to do,” Balaven said.
“And we're not a soccer academy by any stretch, right,” Balaven continued. “And so, as a result, he has to be self-driven and motivated.”
Duah played every minute of every soccer match at the Dunn School, in addition to frisbee and volleyball. He earned All-CIF Southern Section and All-League selection, and he racked up 15 goals and 51 assists. Outside of school, he joined Santa Barbara Soccer Club. That allowed him to gain exposure and continue his soccer development while playing in MLS Next. In his time there, the team made it to the MLS NEXT National Finals, but it also brought him to the people he now calls family.
In 2022, Cesar Jimenez was the assistant manager for Santa Barbara SC, where his son, Damian Jimenez, played in the midfield alongside Duah. Jimenez would often drive over an hour to pick up his son’s teammates, including Duah, and bring them to practice and games. On off days, Duah would spend time with the family at their house, and they all formed a close bond.
“He was just very kind. Walked in with a smile. His energy was very good. It just draws you in the moment you meet him,” Jimenez said.
One day, Duah asked Jimenez if his family would consider hosting him. The Jimenez family had not previously hosted other students, but the answer was easy.
“He (Duah) said, I have a question for you,” Jimenez recollected. “His question was, ‘Will you be my dad?’ And I didn't think twice about it.”
Cesar and his wife, Rosio, opened their doors and arms to Duah, welcoming him in as their 5th son. For Duah, the Jimenez family helped fill the void of being 30 hours by plane away from his own family.
“And they don't see me as like they're hosting me,” Duah said. “But they see me as their son; whatever they do for their sons, they do the same thing for me.”
One of the culture shocks for Duah coming to the U.S. was the food. He found himself missing Ghanaian food a lot. He joked that he was only eating cereal, rice, and chicken until he met the Jimenez family, who introduced him to a new culture.
“When I met them, that's when I started finding the Mexican food. And Mexican food is like, similar to Ghanaian food,” he said. “I was like, this is even making me enjoy this family so much, you know? And I like the way they’re always together, that's like one thing that I was like, okay, this is really nice to see, you know, the love between them every single time.”
When Duah went off to college, he did so right in the backyard of his newfound family. He earned a full-ride scholarship to play soccer at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he played one season before going professional. In his freshman season, Duah played and started in 14 matches, helping UCSB to a 12-5-5 record. He recorded an assist and helped the squad record 6 shutouts. On December 20, 2024, San Diego FC made the Club’s first-ever MLS SuperDraft pick, selecting Duah 1st overall out of UC Santa Barbara, making him the first Gaucho from any sport to be picked first in a draft.
When Duah got the call from General Manager and Sporting Director Tyler Heaps and Head Coach Mikey Varas, he was in the car, trying to retrieve his SDFC scarf and hat that had been delivered to the Jimenez’s old house. His excitement to retrieve and wear his new crest and start his next chapter was indicative of the spirit he’d bring with him to the expansion club.
His introduction to San Diego FC came the week prior when he attended the MLS College Showcase in San Diego. That allowed MLS technical staff to scout and meet with prospects. Although Duah was injured and unable participate in the drills, he met with Heaps and learned about the project. Heaps made SDFC’s intentions to draft Duah clear, despite a knee injury that would keep him out of the preseason.
When Duah arrived in San Diego, he didn’t touch a ball for over 3 months. When he did begin to train, he started doing so in a position he had not played before. The former midfielder was now starting to transition to center back. At 6-foot-4, Duah’s frame was a natural fit for the new role. His passing ability and calmness on the ball also led the Club to believe the position move would be beneficial to his development.
Duah had his professional debut in June, albeit in the midfield in a 5-3 victory over Vancouver. While that moment will stick out as a highlight for Duah, it was an untelevised friendly match versus Club America that took place in Snapdragon Stadium on June 7, 2025, that proved to be pivotal for Duah’s career. That was the first time he started as a center back for the Azul y Chrome, and after a 3-0 victory and a shutout, his performance quickly led to more opportunities, including his first MLS start on June 28, 2025, in Dallas.
“Playing as a center back has actually changed a lot for me,” he said. “The coaches, they saw something which I was not seeing for myself.”
“And that's the thing with me, like, you know, if you are leading me like, I always have so much trust in you,” Duah said about his coaching staff at SDFC.
On July 19, 2025, Duah was part of the group named the youngest backline in MLS history when SDFC faced Vancouver at Snapdragon Stadium. The group featured Luca Bombino, Duah, Ian Pilcher, and Oscar Verhoeven, who combined for an average age of just 20. Duah was awarded as the Man of the Match for his performance.
He finished the 2025 season starting in 17 MLS matches, including all 5 Audi MLS Cup Playoff matches in SDFC’s first postseason run that ended in the Western Conference Final. He recorded 1038 minutes in his rookie season in the league and was ranked #15 on the MLS’ 22 Under 22 list.
Duah scored his first goal for SDFC in the inaugural Baja Cup victory over Club Tijuana on September 16, 2025. His first professional goal was scored on February 3, 2026, in a 4-1 comeback win vs Pumas UNAM in Round 1 of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
At the World Cup break in the 2026 season, Duah has started all but 1 match across MLS and the CONCACAF Champions Cup, missing only 1 due to a red card suspension. He leads the league in touches and in passes completed and has a passing accuracy of 94%.
His form has caught the eye of his national team as well. In May, The Black Stars added Duah to the call-up list for an international friendly versus Mexico ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
“It's really exciting to actually, get called up. That means, you're doing a good thing and people are noticing it even back home,” Duah said on the honor. “And in the future, I'll be I'll be really, really happy to represent my country every single time.”
In the offseason, Duah was able to return home to Ghana for the first time since moving away nearly five years ago. In doing so, he was able to surprise his mother with the best gift – seeing the hard work he put in all those years, paying off.
“The ultimate dream is to be able to give my family a better life, especially my mom. Give her the things that she wants. You know, that's the dream,” Duah said. “To get to a point where your mom doesn't have to work.”
For the Jimenez and Sullivan families, Duah has already left a lasting impression. They often make the trek down to Snapdragon Stadium with their whole “Manu Crew” to support the rising star. But what they love most about him is how he’s impacted their lives off the pitch.
“My favorite thing about Manu is that he's so caring,” Jimenez said. “He's an amazing person. He really brings joy to anybody who comes into contact with them.”
“He's always had such a unique ability to just stay calm like he's never been somebody that is elevated in moments like he's always been comfortable, confident, but never in an arrogant way,” Sullivan said. “I've got a little kid who looks up to him deeply as his big brother.”
For Duah, his career is just taking off in his second professional season. And while, he’s still continents away from where his journey began, he’s paved a pathway in both football, and in life, that has led him to a family and a home that will always be with him.
“I kind of feel proud of myself to be able to come from college and now being a starter for the team, that means I'm going the right path,” Duah said. “And I would not give the credit to myself. Like to the coaching staff as well because they saw something in me that I didn't even see. And I'm proud that they have so much trust and believe in me and that they always are trying to push me and make me better.”
“I'm just super proud, and I know I'm going the right way, and I have the right people with me.”
Duah and San Diego FC return home Saturday, July 25 as they face off against FC Dallas. The first 25,000 fans in attendance get a bucket hat, courtesy of Alaska Airlines. Get your tickets today.
