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Just when you thought U.S. Soccer was finished enticing you with promising young players to watch in their friendly against Paraguay next week, they’ve gone and added another one to the roster.
The USSF announced on Monday that Pachuca’s Kekuta Manneh has been added to the roster for the match on March 27 in Cary, NC.
NEWS: @Tuzos midfielder @kekuta16 added to our #USAvPAR roster.
— U.S. Soccer MNT (@ussoccer_mnt) March 19, 2018
Details » https://t.co/auEmLEPV3w pic.twitter.com/KN5n4kGV2m
Manneh, 23, filed for a one-time switch to the USMNT in September 2016. However, due to a FIFA rule regarding maintaining residency in a country for five years after a player’s 18th birthday, he has had to wait a considerable amount of time to become eligible.
US Soccer’s release doesn’t clarify if that eligibility has officially been resolved or not. We’ll have to assume it has since he’s officially be added to the roster.
The Gambia-born winger moved to Pachuca this winter after spending five-plus years in MLS with the Vancouver Whitecaps and Columbus Crew. So far, he has appeared just once in Liga MX since joining the club.
Manneh was once regarded as one of the most promising young players in MLS. Unfortunately his stock has dropped considerably over the last few years due to injuries and inconsistent play.
It’s undeniable that the talent is there. Will the USMNT be able to uncover the gem that once shined brightly? It should be very interesting to see.