Emerging Talents: Kekuta Manneh of Vancouver Whitecaps

The Vancouver Whitecaps selected Kekuta Manneh fourth overall in the 2013 MLS Superdraft, a move that looks to certainly pay dividends for the Canadian side. Originally hailing from Bakau, Gambia, Manneh moved to Georgia in his teens before settling in Austin, Texas with a host family.

He began making waves around the United States shortly after his arrival, notably for his speed and flare on the ball. His first step is incredibly quick and he possesses fantastic power, which will make him very difficult to deal with for years to come.

Check out Kekuta Manneh below…
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Still quite raw, Manneh will benefit greatly from being in a professional environment on a daily basis. Much of ability is quite natural and it’ll be up to the coaches in Vancouver to ensure his development continues on an upward path.

Manneh can be utilized both up front and on the wing. His speed will always make him a threat but his ability to create chances for himself and others is surely something that can’t go by unnoticed. If dealt with appropriately, he could become a massive threat on the wing that isn’t afraid to get past players in 1 v 1 situations or come inside and cause damage by combining with others.

Having already scored for Vancouver in a preseason fixture against the Charleston Battery in 2013, Manneh started his first MLS game on opening day and will be one to look out for this year.

Who else is making waves around the world? Check out our Emerging Talents to see if the future of your club is already in the making.