ACCRA, Ghana — Just 16 months after he became the highest-drafted athlete in UC Santa Barbara history, Manu Duah has earned his first call-up to the Ghana National Team, one of the 23 players selected by head coach Carlos Queiroz for this month's international friendly against Mexico. Duah, who was born in Kumasi, Ghana, is set to become the ninth Gaucho Men's Soccer alumnus to play for his senior national team if he takes the field for the Black Stars later this month.

"We are very proud to see Manu selected to represent his country, what an honor," UC Santa Barbara Men's Soccer Head Coach Tim Vom Steeg said. "We saw firsthand how talented of a player he was as a Gaucho. It is no surprise that he has continued to excel in the MLS and at the next level."
 
Following his impressive freshman season in 2024, Duah made UC Santa Barbara history as the first Gaucho to be selected first overall in his or her respective sport's professional draft. He debuted for San Diego FC in 2025 and helped them complete the best season by an expansion team in Major League Soccer history, reaching the Western Conference Final. He was named one of the top 22 players under the age of 22. Now a center back after playing as a defensive midfielder for the Gauchos, Duah has started every match for San Diego FC in MLS this season and all but one of their CONCACAF Champions Cup matches.
 
In his single season with UC Santa Barbara, Duah played 14 games in Blue and Gold, with the Gauchos going 8-3-3 in those matches, including six clean sheets. He provided one assist but mostly wowed scouts and fans alike with his defensive midfield play, covering vast swaths of the field, winning the ball back strongly and cleanly, dribbling past opponents and shrugging off tackles as though they were hardly there, and spraying pinpoint passes short and long. Before he was drafted, Duah helped Santa Barbara make its 15^th NCAA Tournament appearance, defeating UCLA in the opening round.
 
Duah and Ghana will face Mexico in an international friendly match on Friday, May 22 at 12 p.m. Pacific Time from Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla, Mexico. Fans in the U.S. can watch the match live on TUDN and Univision.