From Koforidua to South America: One Player's Road Through Manuel Soccer Link Academy
By Academy Staff · July 2026
Manuel Soccer Link Academy (MASLA) was founded in Koforidua, Eastern Region, with a clear aim: develop talented young footballers while building character, discipline, and integrity. The academy's motto, "In God We Trust," sums up that approach.
Since it opened, MASLA has worked to get its players genuine chances at a professional career, in Ghana and abroad. The clearest example so far is former Ghana U-20 striker Samuel Atta Mensah.
MASLA secured Uruguay visas for Atta Mensah twice, in 2019 and again in 2023, arranging trials with Club Atlético Peñarol and Club Nacional de Football. The first attempt fell apart when COVID-19 shut down football worldwide and the trials never happened.
That didn't end things for him. Atta Mensah later signed with Colón F.C. in Uruguay. He now plays as a midfielder for Fountain City Athletic, a United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) club based in Kansas City, Missouri.
His talent wasn't new. While playing youth football for All Stars F.C., The Guardian named him one of the 60 best young footballers in the world.
MASLA points to his story as proof of what the academy is trying to do: give players real training, real international exposure, and a genuine shot at the game's highest level.